Fungi Fast Feasting on 'Our' Food

Fungi operate, largely 'under the radar'. Hyphae are present throughout the soil and fungal spores fill the air. Fungi are, by far, the biggest destroyers of 'our' crops. Fungi are extraordinarily resilient, have spores that can travel long distances on the winds and can quickly 'devour' large fields of single crops. Many problematic species have also developed resistance to common fungicides. Fungal experts expect crop losses to get much worse in the near future (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/03/fungal-attacks-threaten-global-food-supply-say-experts). Higher temperatures and stronger storms are causing fungal diseases to move from the tropics towards both poles at a rate of circa 7 km per year. For example, Wheat stem rust infection, formerly limited to locations near the equator, has now been found in England and Ireland. One can't, however, blame the fungi. They are only exploiting resources. Humans like their crops to be present as monocultures, making it easier for fungi to exploit them. Farmers also tend to splash fungicides around, encouraging the development of the resistant strains. And, of course, it's the human-generated emissions of 'greenhouse gases' (notably carbon dioxide and methane) that drive climate change.