Global warming and rising temperatures will cause food prices to rise

According to a study carried out by experts from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the European Central Bank, Global warming and rising temperatures will cause food prices to rise, something that will likely impact global food security in a significant way. The truth is that it is something that has been talked about for some years, although now in a more committed way.

Experts explain that this situation will not only have consequences on prices, but also will affect the availability and diversity of foods, especially in regions that are especially vulnerable such as West Africa. Taking into account that we depend on a few foods and that only a little more than 100 species are the ones that are mostly cultivated, the situation could become really complicated.

Let us remember that in 2019 a study was published that dealt with the effect that climatic events had on the variability of the yield of the world’s basic crops, the results of which showed that many crops are developed in areas of the planet where extreme weather events will cause a notable drop in crop yieldcomplicating food security on the planet, we talked about all of this in this post.

It is also worth resuming reading this investigation published in 2021 in which it was concluded that the loss of diversity of agricultural crops is very high, to the point that it directly affects food security, productivity and yield, and the ability to adapt crops to climate change, etc

According to researchers, it is estimated that from the year 2035 the Inflation related to climate change could increase food prices between 0.9% and 3.2% annual. This is a trend that will affect all countries, whether low or high income, although it is noted that it will especially be more pronounced in Africa and specifically in West Africa, considering it as a “critical point” of climate change, where predictions about temperatures and reduced rainfall are truly alarming.

In This studio more specifically in which the impact of climate change on food insecurity and health in a rural area of ​​Ghana (West Africa), a high level of food insecurity was observed that was related to climate change. And it is that global warming inevitably negatively affects agriculture, and in the case of Ghana, rainfed agriculture on which more than 50% of that country’s population depends. As a consequence, difficulties in obtaining food increase, which translates into increased prices and exacerbated food insecurity.

He climate-related food price rise It is attributed to two problems that are linked, unpredictable seasonal changes and the increase in pests and diseases that affect agricultural production. As we explained hereThere are several experts who comment that climate change increasingly complicates food security, pathogenic microorganisms, fungi and parasites increase their presence because environmental conditions are very favorable for them.

This is a scenario with serious repercussions, since an annual increase of 3% in the price of food would reduce people’s purchasing power, forcing them to make difficult decisions about the quantity and quality of the food they can purchase, favoring malnutrition and in turn to health, since it will increase vulnerability to diseases.

That is why it is a priority that urgent measures be taken to address what is coming. Experts recommend educating and raising awareness about climate change, carrying out proactive mitigation practices that can help increase food security especially in those most affected communities, diversifying local economies and carry out adaptation strategies to protect populations that depend mainly on agriculture for their subsistence.

In the COP28134 countries signed to incorporate food systems into climate action, being a historic agreement to address emissions derived from the agri-food system, a timid first step where recognition of the intersection between food systems, agriculture and climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diversifying economies are fundamental strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on global food security, which is why agri-food systems must be at the center of climate action.

There is much talk, but without significant government interventions that can guarantee financial protection and nutritional assistance to the most vulnerable populations, it is likely that in the coming years we will see them fall into a cycle of poverty and less accessibility to food, much greater and with the consequences that this entails. The truth is that there is no doubt that it will be impossible to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2; instead of improving the situation, it gets worse every year. topic we were talking about on the occasion of the FAO expert meeting, which called for reversing the growing food insecurity in the world.

The study is worth reading in detail “Global warming and heat extremes will increase inflationary pressures” published in this article from the scientific journal Nature, gives us a vision of what can happen in the medium term in relation to food production, prices and food insecurity.

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