March 19, 2021

Anna Murray 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on March 18 released the report “The Impact of Disasters and Crises on Agriculture and Food Security: 2021” which outlined future agricultural production loss across the world. According to FAO’s report, the most recent trends in agricultural losses mainly result from disasters and crises worldwide such as natural hazards. The study analyzed 457 disasters in 109 upper-middle-income and high-income countries (UMICs and HICs) across all regions.

When natural hazards such as droughts, bushfires, and extreme climate change (exceptional heat, retreating ice, and rising sea levels), and mishaps such as desert locust swarms and coronavirus pandemic, seemingly continue to soar, these impacts will inflict global economic loss and undermine human being’s nutrition. The data in FAO’s report concluded that natural disasters between 2008 and 2018 cost the agricultural sectors of developing country economies about US$108 billion in damage or loss of crop and livestock production. Meanwhile, Asia suffered the most hard-hit with overall economic losses near US$49 billion, then Africa at US$30 billion, and the third Latin America and the Caribbean at US$29 billion.

FAO’s report offers reliable evidence for the world's investment in resilience and disaster risk reduction. As warned by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in the report, the upheaval disturbed by COVID-19 may strike families and communities into greater distress. Immediate efforts are required to find integrated and innovative ways so as to manage agriculture and food security.

Photo:Webshot.