The Guardian
Heat waves are no longer just a nuisance—they are a direct threat to the world’s food system. Farmers are unable to work in the fields, livestock are suffering from heat exhaustion, and crop yields are declining. The United Nations has warned that if this continues, the livelihoods of more than a billion people around the world will be at serious risk.
A joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization says that as heat waves intensify over land and sea, food supply systems in some regions are moving towards extreme crisis.
The situation is already worrying. It is feared that it will be unsafe for farmers to work outdoors for about 250 days a year, or more than two-thirds of the time, across much of South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and large areas of Central and South America, including large parts of India.
The effects of intense heat waves on livestock are already beginning to take their toll. For many animals, heat stress begins at just 25 degrees Celsius. As the heat increases, milk production decreases, as does the fat and protein content of milk. Since pigs and chickens cannot sweat, their digestive systems are disrupted when temperatures rise, their organs become damaged, and they even risk death from heart disease.
The same is true for crops. When temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius, the production of most crops begins to decline. In some areas, corn production has already decreased by about 10 percent. The same trend is seen for wheat.
Experts fear that the situation will worsen if temperatures increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times.
The ocean is also not immune to this terrible heat. Due to heat waves, the amount of oxygen in the water is decreasing. As a result, fish are dying and fisheries are decreasing.
However, the UN report also offers hope. With the ability to predict heat waves in advance, farmers can be warned in time. There is an opportunity to quickly disseminate these warnings through weather forecasts and mobile phones.
Richard Waite, director of the Agricultural Initiatives Division at the World Resources Institute, said, “We need to start adapting to the changing situation now. We need to get the right tools, knowledge, and timely warnings into the hands of farmers.”
Richard Waite added, “If this action is not taken, crop and livestock production will continue to decline in extreme heat. To maintain production, more land will have to be brought under cultivation, which will emit more carbon and intensify climate change. To break this vicious cycle, we need to go in the opposite direction. Solutions must be implemented on a large scale so that farmers can maintain production even in a changing climate.”
“The lives of working people are becoming more and more endangered every day,” said Morgan O’Dea, general coordinator of La Via Campesina, an international organization of small farmers. “Farmers, agricultural workers and small-scale fishers, especially women and the elderly, whose daily livelihoods depend on the fields, rivers and seas, are the most at risk from extreme heat. Their health and lives are at risk. And the huge amounts of greenhouse gases emitted by industrial monoculture farming and large-scale livestock farming are playing a major role in this extreme weather.”
The OD demanded compensation, loan waivers, and government investment in adaptation for these workers. He also called for regulations on how many hours they can work in the fields and on boats. He urged employers to ensure shade, rest, and clean water.
Molly Anderson, a professor of food science at Middlebury College and a member of the International Expert Panel on Sustainable Food Systems, said the current industrial food system is so dependent on a handful of crops and specialized production methods that it is not equipped to handle the major shocks of extreme heat waves.
Molly Anderson advocates for diversifying the food system and finds the trend of losing vegetation, shade, and mixed farming practices from farms due to intensive farming to be worrisome.
Molly Anderson said, “If too many crops are lost at once, it will have a major impact on prices, supply and the economy. There is a limit to adaptation. The real solution is to quickly move away from fossil fuels to renewables and invest heavily in adaptation measures.”
Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at the University of London, said that while hot countries will be the worst hit, temperate regions and rich countries are not immune. He said that the uncertainty of climate change is increasing rapidly and is posing serious challenges for food producers around the world.
