How does climate change threaten food security and global health?
How does climate change threaten food security and global health?
In recent years, global markets have witnessed unprecedented waves of food prices. The average consumer is no longer surprised when he sees the price of one kilogram of potatoes or oil double within a few months. However, behind this phenomenon stands an increasingly influential force, namely climate change, which is no longer just an environmental threat, but has turned into an economic engine that affects the details of daily life, from shopping lists to the stability of societies.
Hence, a recent scientific study issued by theSupercomputing Centerin Barcelona (Maximillian Kotz of the Barcelona Supercomputer Center) indicates that extreme weather phenomena – which have become more frequent and severe due toclimate change – were behind sharp jumps in the prices of basic products in 18 countries between 2022 And 2024, from lettuce and vegetables in Australia, to olives in Italy and Spain, thenrice in Japanand cocoa in West Africa, all food stories that share a common thread; It is extreme weather.
How has climate change caused cocoa prices to rise?
The climate conditions that led to these jumps were not normal, but rather exceeded all historical precedents before 2020, as the study shows; For example, cocoa prices rose by a staggering 300% in April 2024, after a heatwave in Ghana and Ivory Coast made it four degrees Celsius hotter due to climate change. These are the two countries that produce nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa. Hence, the rise in prices is no longer the result only of a market, supply and demand, but rather of a conflict with nature itself.
As global warming continues, experts expect these events to occur more frequently, making the economic impact of climate change more tangible than ever before. The irony is that this influence is not distributed fairly; Low-income communities, which spend a large proportion of their income on food, are under enormous pressure on their food security.
Does climate change affect politics?
The impact of climate change extends beyond the environment and the economy; As the sharp rise in food prices resulting from extreme climate events is shaking the stability of political systems; Experts warn that food inflation resulting from climate change may become a pressing political factor, especially in developing countries. Because when prices rise rapidly due to drought or heat waves, people’s resentment increases, and governments become under increasing popular pressure.
Demonstrations caused by climate phenomena
In the UK, a dry spring in 2024 contributes to higherinflation; Which hampered the central bank’s efforts to lower interest rates. In Mozambique – as the study states – demonstrations took place in protest against the rise in bread prices, after Russia banned the export of wheat as a result of a local heat wave that led to a decline in its production. Thus, the scene is repeated in several countries. Food security becomes closely linked to political security.
Election results affected by livelihood crises
Recent reports indicate that “high inflation could change the election results,” as happened in the United States, where the livelihood crisis played a role in directing voters’ votes, and this confirms that climate change is no longer just an environmental issue, but has turned into an issue of sovereignty and internal stability.
Climate change is creeping into public health
High food prices resulting from extreme weather have an impact not only on the purchasing power of families, but also extends to people’s health, especially in the most vulnerable groups. Researchers’ reports show that low-income families often replace fresh vegetables and fruits, which have become expensive, with cheap foods full of calories, fats and sugars. Which raises the rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Examples of the impact of rising commodity prices on health
In South Korea, for example, cabbage prices rose by 70% in September 2024 compared to the previous year, as a result of an intense heat wave, and in Mexico, one of the most severe droughts in a decade caused a sharp increase in the prices of fruits and vegetables, which negatively affected the diet of poor families. The same scene was repeated in Japan, where rice prices rose by 48% after a summer that was the hottest since 1946.
Repercussions of the price rise crisis
These shifts not only threaten individual health, but also herald national health crises that require better prepared care systems; Healthy food has become a luxury for many, which re-asks a fundamental question: Has climate change become a new kind of health threat? According to the study, these repercussions may lead to a “chain of societal risks,” where high food prices become one of the factors that contribute to the exacerbation of poverty, a decline in the quality of life, and an inflated health burden. All of these are direct obstacles to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal (2) on eliminating hunger, and Goal (3) on good health and well-being.
Towards resilient food systems
The food, climate, health and political crises intersect in a complex global landscape, forcing us to comprehensively review how our food is produced, distributed and consumed, in light of accelerating environmental challenges that require fair and sustainable solutions, in order to make our food systems more resilient to climate change. Food security no longer requires only production and distribution, but also protection from extreme weather phenomena, the development of flexible policies, and strong social safety networks, consistent with Goal (16) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to peace, justice, and strong institutions.
Sustainable agriculture is the first line of defense
In the face of this disturbing reality, sustainable agriculture comes as one of the most important tools for adapting to the crisis. The shift towards flexible food systems capable of withstanding climate change has become a necessity, and this shift includes relying on climate-smart agricultural techniques, improving the management of water resources, and developing agricultural varieties resistant to heat and drought.
International efforts to redesign the food system
Global initiatives such as the “Food Systems Review” conference (UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake) – which is being held in Addis Ababa, seek to unify the efforts of countries to enhance global food security. This conference is expected to witness high-level participation to discuss climate risks that threaten the stability of food supply chains. Such meetings represent an opportunity to redesign a more just and sustainable global food system.
Reducing emissions is a food and humanitarian necessity
In this context, reducing carbon emissions is a crucial step; Every day we delay achieving carbon neutrality means more severe heatwaves, smaller harvests, and higher prices. Therefore, achieving “Net Zero Emissions” is no longer only an environmental option, but today it has become an economic and humanitarian option as well, serving the goals of sustainable development from eliminating hunger to mitigating the effects of climate change.
In conclusion, what this deep interconnection between climate change, food security and global health reveals is an integrated series of threats caused by rising atmospheric temperatures, as climate change reshapes the equations of economics, politics and health, putting humanity before an existential test that goes beyond natural disasters to dismantling the foundations of social stability.
