In March 2022, the World Food Price Index was at an all-time high. Despite the inflation and economic crisis, certain other factors are contributing to the rise in food prices. According to the World Bank, disruptions being observed in the supply chain of food and climate change are two important factors that cannot be neglected.
Disruption of the supply chain has several reasons. Among all other reasons, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Germany have greatly impacted the system. The pandemic caused the food system to be kept under unmatched stress, whereas the war, which started last year in February, led to ports being blocked off. As a result, a spike in food prices was observed.
On the other hand, climate change is also contributing to the spike. Harsh weather conditions are harmful to crops as they can cause damage. Drought remains the most common natural disaster that caused damage to food items including rice, coffee, wheat, maize, and tomato.
As the situation gets worse and the price continues to go up, making food items less affordable for the public, can not only cause hunger or malnutrition but even cause unrest in a country, leading to more economic and social destruction.
To reverse the trend, several steps are being taken at the global level. Starting with climate change, campaigns are being held to educate the public on how climate has a strong impact on food.
Furthermore, the fertiliser supply is also being increased. These fertilisers can play an important role in making crops more resistant to climate change. The nutrients that will be provided to the crop will help it stand up against conditions such as drought and other stress factors. As a result, not only can the crop be saved, but the size of the yield can also be increased.
In a statement released by NASA, if the rate at which greenhouse gas is being emitted continues, then by 2030, the overall yield of maize will drop by 24 percent. India is already experiencing an 8 percent fall in its rice yield due to drought conditions. Similarly, grain crops in the EU have also been affected by the same condition.
H/T: VisualCapitalist
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Disruption of the supply chain has several reasons. Among all other reasons, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Germany have greatly impacted the system. The pandemic caused the food system to be kept under unmatched stress, whereas the war, which started last year in February, led to ports being blocked off. As a result, a spike in food prices was observed.
On the other hand, climate change is also contributing to the spike. Harsh weather conditions are harmful to crops as they can cause damage. Drought remains the most common natural disaster that caused damage to food items including rice, coffee, wheat, maize, and tomato.
As the situation gets worse and the price continues to go up, making food items less affordable for the public, can not only cause hunger or malnutrition but even cause unrest in a country, leading to more economic and social destruction.
To reverse the trend, several steps are being taken at the global level. Starting with climate change, campaigns are being held to educate the public on how climate has a strong impact on food.
Furthermore, the fertiliser supply is also being increased. These fertilisers can play an important role in making crops more resistant to climate change. The nutrients that will be provided to the crop will help it stand up against conditions such as drought and other stress factors. As a result, not only can the crop be saved, but the size of the yield can also be increased.
In a statement released by NASA, if the rate at which greenhouse gas is being emitted continues, then by 2030, the overall yield of maize will drop by 24 percent. India is already experiencing an 8 percent fall in its rice yield due to drought conditions. Similarly, grain crops in the EU have also been affected by the same condition.
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