In this podcast episode, we speak with plant physiologist Lewis Ziska, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental health sciences at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. We discuss how climate change affects food systems and human health, including an increased risk of exposure to foodborne illnesses and a decrease of the overall nutrition.

Climate change is impacting our global food system, and, in turn, changes to food supply and quality may affect our health.

Lewis Ziska, Ph.D., is a plant physiologist formerly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles related to climate change and rising carbon dioxide that address: agriculture and food security; invasive species; and plant biology and public health. Ziska was a contributor to the 2014 International Panel on Climate Change report (Food Security Chapter); the 2014 National Climate Assessment (Public Health Chapter); and The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment.