A warning jointly released by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization in April said that rising temperatures on land and at sea are disrupting food production worldwide.
The report says that our global food supply may be "pushed to the brink" and calls for action to address extreme heat.
Farmers in the world's hottest areas — including large parts of India and South Asia, tropical sections of Africa, and parts of Central and South America — may be unable to work safely outdoors for as many as 250 days each year. This lack of outdoor safety for laborers could massively impact workers' well-being, disrupt food supply chains, and affect economies.
But the impacts associated with extreme heat are already showing up across the food sector.
When it comes to livestock, dairy cows produce less milk in high heat, and the milk they do produce can contain less fat and protein. Pigs and chickens are also especially vulnerable because they cannot sweat, putting them at risk of digestive tract breakdowns, organ failure, and cardiovascular shock during extreme heat, according to the Guardian.
Crops are also suffering. Corn, wheat, and rice yields have already fallen in areas affected by extreme heat, which is especially concerning given the large portion of the global population that relies on these three crops — and given continually rising global temperatures.
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Richard Waite, the Director of Agriculture Initiatives at the World Resources Institute, told the Guardian that society needs to help farmers adapt now.
"Without adaptation," Waite said, "extreme heat will cut crop and livestock yields, forcing more land into agriculture to maintain food production."
To address this problem, according to Waite, "scaling solutions that help farmers maintain and sustainably increase productivity" is crucial. But cutting the pollution driving climate change is likely the strongest protection against future food challenges due to extreme heat.
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