3 weeks ago

Global food system better prepared for 'super' El Nino

Global food system better prepared for 'super' El Nino
Global food system gains resilience against ‘super’ El Nino with record farm stocks - Telegraph India · telegraphindia.com

El Nino is a big weather pattern over the ocean that can make some parts of the world very dry and other parts very rainy.

This year, a very strong El Nino, called a 'super' El Nino, is happening.

It has already made it harder to grow food in places like India, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand.

In the past, big El Ninos caused food shortages because farms could not grow enough food.

Now, the world is much better prepared.

Farmers have special seeds that can grow well even when it is dry, and better ways to water their fields.

Countries have stored up lots of extra wheat, rice and other food.

Big farming countries like Brazil and Russia can now sell more food to the rest of the world.

So even though dry weather is coming, there should be enough food for everyone.

Some things, like wars that make farm supplies expensive, could still cause problems, so experts are watching carefully.

Key facts

El Nino outlook
Expected to be one of the strongest on record, intensifying in the fourth quarter and early next year
India's share of global rice exports
40%
Global wheat stocks held by China
Nearly half
Palm oil share of global edible oil exports
About 60%
Brazil soybean export growth
More than 13-fold since 1997/98; world's biggest soybean supplier
Russia wheat shipments
48 million tons last year, up from roughly 1 million tons in 1997/98
Strait of Hormuz
Carried about a fifth of global crude oil and LNG before being blockaded during the Iran war that began in February
Past severe El Nino episodes
1997-98 and 2015-16 events slashed crop production, fuelling food shortages, inflation and sapping economic growth

Quotes

Andrew Whitelaw

Head of Australian agricultural consultancy Episode 3

“Expectations are that it will be one of the strongest on record, or the strongest the world has ever seen, and that means the big impact of dryness has yet to come”
telegraphindia.com
“Even during drought conditions, better irrigation management and crop science mean we can still produce marketable yields”
telegraphindia.com

Sources

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