'Our crops are losing their nutrients', new report warns

New report finds crops have lost up to half of key nutrients since the 1960s, putting millions at risk of 'hidden hunger'.

 Crops are less nutritious than they used to be. Many crops have lost between 20-50% of several nutrients since the 1960s

• A 'hidden hunger tipping point is coming'. Around 5 million working-age adults could drop below key micronutrient thresholds due to rising weight-loss drug use and crop nutrient density further falling
• The problem can be reversed. Raising crop nutrient density by >30% could offset the dietary effects of GLP-1 drugs and roughly halve several existing UK deficiency rates, with no change in diet required

 Many crops have lost as much as 50% of several key nutrients since the 1960s. Combined with the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, continued projected declines could push around 5 million UK working-age adults below safe levels of essential vitamins and minerals, according to a report published by Deep Science Ventures (DSV). Hollow Harvests: Rebuilding the nutritional value of crops in an age of abundant calories calls on the government, farmers and the food industry to make crop nutrient density a measured and rewarded target. 

 The report argues that decades of breeding and farming for yield have quietly reduced many nutrients in crops. Cereal yields per hectare are up 215% since the 1960s, and undernutrition in the developing world has fallen from 35% to 12%. But more than 2 billion people still have at least one clinical micronutrient deficiency. This 'hidden hunger' costs account for 7% of the global disease burden. It is also well documented in countries including the UK and US, where diets can be high in calories but still low in nutrients such as selenium and folate.

 Everyday staples show the clearest decline. A 2026 global study found that fewer than a third of bread-wheat varieties released since the 1960s meet the recommended zinc target, and similar patterns appear in vegetables and fruit. Put simply, a carrot with half the potassium requires eating twice as much to get the same benefit.

 The report suggests we may have avoided some of the consequences so far by eating more. Global calorie supply is up 38% since 1961, but that buffer is now under pressure. GLP-1 drugs are projected to reach more than 100 million users in higher-income countries by 2030, and they cut food intake up to 39%. At the same time, rising atmospheric CO₂ is projected to reduce wheat protein by up to 12.7% and zinc by 36.5% by mid-century, while the world's soils are increasingly degraded to a point that limits micronutrient supply.

 The health effects are serious. Selenium deficiency weakens the immune system and raises the risk of heart disease. Iron deficiency causes fatigue and poor concentration. Low potassium intake can raise stroke risk by up to 21%, and strokes already cost the UK around £26 billion a year.

 Will Summers, Senior Associate, Climate at DSV said: "For sixty years we've measured food security in calories and tonnes per hectare, and on those measures we've done remarkably well. But we've been quietly hollowing out what's inside our food. As weight-loss drugs mean people eat less, the nutritional quality of every bite starts to matter much more. The good news is that we already have the tools to fix this, in breeding, soil health, markets and policy. What's been missing is the recognition that this problem is worth measuring and solving at its source."

 Dr. Amy Godfrey, Head of Research, The First Thirty added: "GLP-1 drugs are changing how much people eat, and that changes what the food industry will compete on. As portion sizes shrink, nutrition per calorie becomes the value that matters. Nutrient-dense crops, and the science and tools that deliver them, are a real opportunity for investors and food businesses that move early." 

 Sian Ferguson, Trust Executive, The Mark Leonard Trust said: "Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food. This report shows that rebuilding soil health is one of the few measures that can improve nutrient density, yields and climate resilience all at once, and farmers can do it profitably today. The challenge is helping them through the first few years of transition. That is where funders, investors and governments can make the biggest difference." 

 The report calls on government, industry and investors to act now. The recommendations include measuring nutrient density alongside yield and updating the UK's food composition data, last comprehensively revised for fruit and vegetables in 1991. DSV also suggests making nutritional quality an explicit target in breeding and farm policy. Finally, food businesses should use the GLP-1 shift to compete on nutrition per calorie, while 'no regrets' measures such as building soil health should be prioritised today.

 Download the executive summary here.