Air pollution from North America is contributing to the loss of 1.2 million tons of European wheat a year.

Scientists from the University of Leeds studied the impact of surface concentrations of ozone, a powerful air pollutant which can damage plant cells and inhibit growth of wheat, maize, soybean, cotton, potatoes and rice.

Not only does air pollution produced in the Northern Hemisphere’s six industrialised regions harm local crops, but the air pollution can impact crops thousands of kilometres away.