Himanshu Gupta on food security
For Himanshu Gupta, food is the front line of climate change — agriculture already absorbs a quarter of climate-disaster costs, and the climate is outpacing how fast seed companies can adapt. His answer is to make food supply chains climate-resilient: a globally coordinated, proactive effort with returns far above conventional climate spending, and a willingness to rethink where — and what — we grow.
Co-founder & CEO, ClimateAi · WEF Young Global Leader · Forbes 30 Under 30 · Stanford
His position in brief
- Agriculture is the sector hit first and hardest by climate volatility.
- The climate is changing faster than seed development can keep up.
- Resilient food supply chains need a global, proactive response.
- We may have to rethink where, and what, we grow and eat.
Why is food the front line of climate change?
Because agriculture takes the first hit — and most of the world depends on it. Gupta points to the share of climate-disaster costs the sector already absorbs, against the billions who rely on it to live.
“Last year alone, 25% of global climate disasters costs were absorbed by agriculture – which 70%+ of the population depends on for their livelihoods.”Climate Tech VC — Himanshu Gupta, CEO of ClimateAi · Interview
Is the climate changing faster than our crops can adapt?
Yes — and that's the crux. Gupta notes that the decade-plus it takes to develop and launch a new seed variety is now slower than the climate itself is moving.
“By the time some seed companies do this, in say 10 to 15 years, the climate has already changed”BBC — Creating climate-resilient crops 5x faster with AI · Article
Where will our food come from as the climate shifts?
From new places. Gupta's point is that the map of what grows where is already being redrawn — crops are migrating to regions no one associated them with.
“have you ever heard of Canada growing strawberries? It's happening now.”World Economic Forum — Summer Davos 2025 panel · 2025 · Panel
What's the fix — and why can't it be country-by-country?
A global, proactive response. Gupta argues protecting food supply chains is a shared challenge that needs cooperation across governments and companies, not isolated national fixes that react after the fact.
“But this global challenge requires a global solution: a collective, cooperative effort that is proactive rather than reactive from governments and companies on an international supply chain level to build resilience in the face of climate change.”TIME — How Climate Disasters Are Making Food Expensive Everywhere · Aug 2024 · Op-ed
Is protecting food supply chains actually worth the investment?
By his math, more than most climate spending. Gupta contrasts emissions-cutting, driven by reputation and regulation, with food-resilience investment that he says pays back several times over in the near term.
“In fact, unlike initiatives for cutting carbon emissions, driven mainly by reputational and regulatory concerns, initiatives to protect our food supply chains could have 2 times to 10 times the return on investment in the short-to-medium term.”TIME — How Climate Disasters Are Making Food Expensive Everywhere · Aug 2024 · Op-ed
Do we need to rethink what we grow and eat?
Gupta thinks so. As warming degrades staple crops, he argues for diversifying toward resilient, climate-hardy options — pointing to ancient grains like millet as part of the answer.
“In a world of shifting climates, we have to re-think what we grow and eat.”FoodBev — Opinion: Millet – An ancient grain solution for modern global challenges · Op-ed