We critically review the current state of understanding of how bioaccumulation and bioavailability of trace elements in crops might be affected by global warming and elevated CO₂ concentrations, and the interaction of different environmental processes in controlling the transfer, distribution and deposition of mineral elements in crops in a changing environment. The 4^th IPCC Assessment report concludes that global climate change is occurring due to human activities and will have a significant impact on the earth's natural systems. However, significant uncertainty over the likely magnitude of these changes and their impacts exists. While bioaccumulation of mineral elements in crops is recognized as a physiologically important process, and is affected by several different climate variables (e.g. temperature, CO₂), we know little about how these variables interact with other climate variables affecting plant productivity (e.g. rainfall), and how mineral stresses at the individual plant level translate to impacts at the agroecosystem level. Several studies of crop plants grown at high root temperatures found higher uptakes of zinc, lead, cadmium, silver, chromium and antimony versus plants grown at low root temperatures. Numerous studies report that elevated CO₂ concentrations generally decreased the accumulation of mineral elements in spring wheat and rice. However, the vast majority of past research has focused on the isolated effects of elevated CO₂ concentrations and temperature rise on crop productivity. We still know relatively little about the influence of temperature raising and elevated CO₂ concentrations on plant and mineral element interactions in a changing environment, making it very difficult to predict how food production will respond to future climate change. Furthermore, although we have a fairly good understanding of how mineral concentrations in plant tissue can affect herbivores, we know comparatively little about these effects influence pasture production. There is clear need to integrate our current understanding from quantitative experimental studies within process-based models of plant productivity that should include interactions among climate, mineral stress and herbivory in order to better predict the responses of crops and pastures to future global climate change.