Rising food prices driven by climate crisis threaten world's poorest, report finds
New research links last year's surges in the price of potatoes in the UK, cabbages in South Korea, onions in India, and cocoa in Ghana to weather extremes that 'exceeded all historical precedent prior to 2020'.
Such price jumps not only affect local food security and health, particularly for the poorest in society, but have knock-on effects around the world.
Unprecedented monthly temperatures in February 2024 after drought in late 2023 and early 2024 across Ghana and Ivory Coast, where 60% of the world's cocoa is grown, led to global prices for the commodity spiking by 300%.
The high price of staples can have an impact on public health as low-income households cut back on expensive fruit and vegetables, according to the report from a team including the UK's Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), the European Central Bank (ECB), the Food Foundation, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
The study investigated examples across 18 countries between 2022 and 2024 where price spikes were associated with heat, drought and heavy precipitation.
It found food price spikes can have a wider economic impact, making it harder for economies to keep down overall inflation and so, for example, bring interest rates down. A hot dry spring in the UK this year, for example, partly drove unexpectedly high UK inflation figures published last week, dampening expectations for further interest rate cuts this summer.
The report also suggests 'high rates of inflation can directly alter election outcomes in modern democracies'.
Maximilian Kotz, a Marie Curie postdoctoral research fellow at Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the lead author of the report, said: 'It is clear the cost of living played a role in last year's election in the US.'
He added: 'These effects are going to continue to become worse in the future. Until we get to net zero emissions extreme weather will only get worse, but it's already damaging crops and pushing up the price of food all over the world.
'People are noticing, with rising food prices No 2 on the list of climate impacts they see in their lives, second only to extreme heat itself.
Sign up to Business Today
Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning
after newsletter promotion
'Sadly, when the price of food shoots up, low-income families often have to resort to less nutritious, cheaper foods. Diets like this have been linked to a range of health conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.'
Raj Patel, a research professor in the Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, said: 'Food price inflation is always political.'
For example, people in Mozambique took to the streets when the price of bread shot up after extreme heat in Russia, a big wheat producer, prompted the country to block exports to protect meagre supplies in 2010 meaning the price of wheat soared globally.
The research is published ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake on 27 July, where world leaders will meet to discuss threats to the global food system.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Liverpool complete signing of Hugo Ekitike after seeing off late Man United interest
The Frenchman, whose fee could rise to £79m depending on bonuses, has signed a six-year contract at Anfield after passing a medical. Liverpool saw off late interest from Manchester United for the 23-year-old, while Newcastle had offered £70m for Ekitike, which Eintracht rejected. The former Paris Saint-Germain forward, who told United he had no interest in joining them when director of recruitment Christopher Vivell contacted Frankfurt, was a long-term target for Liverpool, who had been in contact with his representatives for six months, while Arne Slot spoke to him at the end of the season. Ekitike becomes Liverpool's fourth major summer signing and takes their spending to £250m – and up to £300m, including potential add-ons and the deal for Giorgi Mamardashvili, which was sealed last summer. and full-backs Milos Kerez and Jeremie Frimpong. Liverpool had also made an inquiry for Alexander Isak, who Newcastle did not want to sell, but believe they were pursuing Ekitike before the Carabao Cup winners turned to him after failing in attempts to sign Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, who both joined Chelsea instead. But they were reluctant to get involved in an auction and waited before making a late move, as they had when they took the Tottenham target Luis Diaz from Porto in 2022. Liverpool see Ekitike as a multi-functional forward who, though largely a No 9, can also play in deeper and wider roles and think that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have shown more potential among strikers of such age. Ekitike scored 22 goals for Eintracht last season, though Liverpool believe his impact was greater than that and he has the potential to become more prolific.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
UN's top court says all countries have to act against climate change. Here are the key takeaways.
The United Nations' top court has issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate change, its 15-black-robed judges weighing in for the first time on what the court's president called 'an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet.' The International Court of Justice 's unanimous non-binding opinion, which runs to over 500 pages, was immediately hailed by activists as a turning point in international climate law. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could disappear under rising sea waters, the U.N. General Assembly asked the court in 2023 to answer two questions: What are countries obliged to do under international law to protect the climate and environment from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions? And what are the legal consequences for governments when their acts, or lack of action, have significantly harmed the climate and environment? Here are some of the key points from the opinion delivered Wednesday. A healthy planet is a basic human right In a simple statement that could have profound legal ramifications, the court said everyone is entitled to a habitable planet. 'The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is therefore inherent in the enjoyment of other human rights,' court President Yuji Iwasawa said during a two-hour hearing. A livable planet is a human right and is part of international customary law, meaning every country is obliged to protect it, not just countries that have signed climate treaties and other agreements. Violating international law A failure to address climate change, the court said, could be a violation of international law. That matters because it applies to all countries and paves the way for legal actions, including states returning to the ICJ to hold each other to account; domestic lawsuits; and investment agreements that have to conform to international law. 'With today's authoritative historic ruling, the International Court of Justice has broken with business-as-usual and delivered a historic affirmation: Those suffering the impacts of climate devastation have a right to remedy and full reparation,' said Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. Payback time? The court ruled that some countries or individuals suffering from the effects of climate change could be eligible for compensation. For climate damage linked to greenhouse gas emissions, 'restitution may take the form of reconstructing damaged or destroyed infrastructure, and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity,' the court said. If that's not possible, financial compensation could be assessed, though the judges conceded it 'may be difficult to calculate, as there is usually a degree of uncertainty with respect to the exact extent of the damage caused.' Activists hailed that part of the decision as a historic turning point in their search for justice. 'The ICJ's decision brings us closer to a world where governments can no longer turn a blind eye to their legal responsibilities. It affirms a simple truth of climate justice: Those who did the least to fuel this crisis deserve protection, reparations, and a future,' said Vishal Prasad, director of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change. Climate refugees While the court's opinion is far-reaching, no one expects it to immediately solve the problems created by climate change. The judges noted that people may be forced to flee their homes to escape the dangers posed by climate change and countries are obliged to not turn away climate refugees when their lives are endangered. If a country disappears under rising ocean levels, that country doesn't cease to exist, they said. For the Pacific Island nations that pushed for the opinion, the threat is real. Since 1993, sea levels around Vanuatu's shores have risen by about 6 millimeters (.24 inches) per year — significantly faster than the global average — and in some areas, tectonic activity has doubled that rate.
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Liverpool confirm £79m signing of striker Hugo Ekitike as Reds' summer spending passes £290MILLION
Liverpool have confirmed the £79million signing of striker Hugo Ekitike. The Eintracht Frankfurt No 9 is expected to join up with the squad in Hong Kong in the next 48 hours for training sessions but is unlikely to play in Saturday's fixture against AC Milan. Ekitike, 23, joins on a six-year contract and has been on Liverpool's radar for some years, with Mail Sport first revealing in March that he was a top target. Liverpool have been in contact with Ekitike since January and Arne Slot informed the Frenchman of his intention to sign him at the end of the season just gone. The Reds' data tests showed that no one other than Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe scored higher in their data tests for No 9s. Slot's men do see him as a central striker but acknowledge that he can play off the wings too. The package is a £69m base fee plus £10m in add-ons which are based on team and player performance. The Frenchman has joined on a six-year deal and underwent his medical on Tuesday. Sporting director Richard Hughes has remained in the UK for now to finalise this transfer after Arne Slot's squad departed for the Far East on Sunday night after beating Stoke 5-0 in a behind-closed-doors game at the AXA Training Base in Kirkby. The champions played two different starting line-ups before and after half-time and Florian Wirtz, the club record addition, got his first competitive action for the club following his £116million move from Bayer Leverkusen. The likes of Jeremine Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili have also featured, having joined for £29.5m, £40m and £29m respectively. Those four signings have taken the Reds' summer spending past £290m as they continue to splash the cash and look to improve on a season that saw them become Premier League champions for a second time. Last week, Newcastle had an offer of £70m rejected for Ekitike, which fell £16m short of his release clause. Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak but that move remains in question, especially after the major outplay for the France Under 21 international. Last season Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 games for Frankfurt in all competitions, with 15 of those strikes coming in the Bundesliga. He was also named in the Bundesliga team of the season following a hugely impressive campaign. Ekitike was previously at Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan from Reims before joining permanently. However, he only made 33 appearances for PSG in total and scored four goals. Liverpool have already been heavily active in the transfer market this summer, with several familiar faces leaving Anfield in a summer of churn. Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, while Jarell Quansah signed for Bayer Leverkusen and Caoimhin Kelleher made the switch to Brentford. The Reds are also expected to sell a number of stars before the window closes, with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliot all heavily linked with moves away.
