Climate disasters are wreaking devastation on the world's farms

Disasters have inflicted an estimated $3.26 trillion in agricultural losses worldwide over the past 33 years – an average of $99 billion annually, roughly 4 percent of global agricultural GDP – says a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report titled “The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025,” provides the most comprehensive global assessment to date of how disasters – from droughts and floods to pests and marine heatwaves – are disrupting food production, livelihoods and nutrition. It also demonstrates how digital innovations are shifting agrifood systems from reactive crisis management to proactive data-driven resilience-building.