Food price inflation may have eased but weather-related threats may send grocery prices soaring in the near future, with everything from the coffee crop in Brazil and olives in Europe to wheat and barley in California suffering from the effects of extreme weather conditions.
Climate change has had a major impact on the 2024 U.S. growing season.
In addition to drought and heat, heavy rains have pummeled crops in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, corn and soybeans taking the brunt of the damage.
Farmers growing crops like corn, potatoes, rice and wheat may find their land no longer suitable for such staples by 2050, the Food Policy Research Institute warned.
Alex Tyink, CEO and of Fork Farms, told The Food Institute climate change is causing an average 20% decrease in crop yields. Additionally, supply chain issues along with food and resource waste are leading to a reduction in nutritional quality.
In the U.S., agricultural exports have slipped into a deficit because of reduced yields. In Greece, drought sapped groundwater supplies, leading to the worst harvest in a decade.
“While some businesses can easily alter their crop and business model, it is not so possible for our family-owned business [Laconiko] as we are not only sustaining a family tradition, but our heritage,” Niki Adamopoulos, a fourth-generation olive producer in Greece, told FI.
“While in the past, minimal to no watering of our olive fruit trees was necessary, we have quickly realized the importance and necessity of watering our trees. … As we experience the impact of increased heat and droughts, for example, we have subsequently learned the importance of utilizing an irrigation system and have had to implement various new irrigation systems to maintain our quality.”
The 2024 crop also was affected by a severe olive fruit fly infestation. Climate scientists note as the planet warms, insect population and activity increase.
“Extreme weather is damaging or destroying crops globally, especially coffee, cocoa and avocados. Some farmers now grow tea or palm oil instead of coffee,” said Greg Barber, whose eco-printing company, Eco Friendly Printer, has shifted to using 100% recycled paper because of the effect climate change has had on many tree species.
September marks the beginning of the coffee growing season in Brazil, following an unusually hot winter that reduced soil moisture reserves to dangerous levels, said Jon Davis, chief meteorologist at Everstream Analytics. Earlier this year, Vietnam saw reduced coffee crops due to heat stress while Indonesia was hit by severe flooding that affected both the size of the crop and its quality.
Climate change in northern Nigeria has turned grazing land into desert, forcing herders out of their traditional areas and into the urban area surrounding the capital. The result, Africa News reported, is cattle grazing along the medians in Lagos, blocking traffic.
Joshua Fisher, science lead at climate tech company Hydrosat, said the rapid pace of climate change means growers need to change their approach.
“Some crops must be replaced either with more water efficient crops or even the same crop but a variant with improved water use efficiency. Some fields must go fallow,” Fisher said. “Climate change is a battle, but new tools like thermal imagery can equip society to tackle those challenges and secure our global food supply.”
Fork Farms’ Tyink said one solution is to eliminate weather and supply chain variables by moving toward hydroponics.
“Hydroponic farms provide the community access to fresh foods such as leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs and more every month, regardless of climate. … Hydroponically-grown vegetables and fruits are packed with nutrients since the food is grown in the community it is served in, making them among the healthiest fresh foods available,” Tyink said, adding a new lettuce crop can be produced every 28 days.
