Natural and man-made disasters have led to $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over the last three decades, said the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on Friday (Oct 13) in its first-of-its-kind report that attempted to compile such an estimate. The world has also lost over $120 billion per year which amounts to five per cent of the annual global agricultural GDP.&nbsp;

<h2>Findings of the report</h2>

The UN food agency estimated that disasters like floods, droughts, insect infestations, storms, disease and war have caused $123 billion every year in lost food production between 1991 and 2021, which would have been enough to feed up to half a billion people per year.&nbsp;

The new report by FAO titled “The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security” shows the first-ever global estimation of the impact on agricultural production with a focus on crops and livestock due to disasters and aims to put into context the scale of the cost of such events.&nbsp;

The report also highlights the need for urgently improving data and information on the impact of disasters and notes how they have increased in frequency from 100 per year in the 1970s to a whopping 400 events per year in the past 20 years.&nbsp;

According to FAO, the average annual grain losses amounted to 69 million tonnes in the last three decades or so – which is equivalent to the entire cereal production of France in 2021.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/international-day-of-awareness-on-food-loss-and-waste-reduction-heres-how-food-waste-affects-the-environment-640920">Explained | Int’l day of awareness of food loss &amp; waste reduction: Here's how food waste affects environment</a>

Additionally, the world lost some 40 million tonnes of fruit and vegetable production and 16 million tonnes of meat, dairy and eggs to disasters. Around 23 per cent of losses due to disasters were sustained in the agricultural sector.

“Agriculture is one of the most highly exposed and vulnerable sectors in the context of disaster risk, given its profound dependence on natural resources and climate conditions. Recurrent disasters have the potential to erode gains in food security and undermine the sustainability of agrifood systems,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in the report.

The UN food agency also found that lower and lower middle-income countries witnessed “highest relative” losses of up to 15 per cent of their total agricultural GDP. While Small Island Developing States (SIDS) reportedly lost seven per cent of their agricultural GDP.&nbsp;

<h2>Impact on women&nbsp;</h2>

According to the FAO, women were also hit harder than men due to these disasters. This has been attributed to resource and structural constraints which women face to access “information, financial instruments, the resources that they need to prepare to respond to or recover from disaster events,” said the report’s author, Zehra Zaidi.

<h2>Situation to worsen?</h2>

The FAO has identified climate change as one of the “systemic drivers of disaster risk” while other factors include pandemics, epidemics and armed conflicts.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/world-food-price-index-mostly-stable-in-september-sugar-prices-hit-13-year-high-due-to-el-nino-fao-643378">World sugar prices hit 13-year high in Sep due to El Nino; food price index 'mostly stable': FAO</a> 
 
According to the UN food agency, the disaster events are not only increasing in frequency but also becoming more intense and complex.&nbsp;

“The international community is taking stock of the fact that disasters are... increasing tremendously...quadrupling since the 1970s” and are having an increasing impact on food production, the deputy head of FAO’s statistics department, Piero Conforti, told AFP.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
 
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Natural and man-made disasters have led to $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over the last three decades, said the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on Friday (Oct 13) in its first-of-its-kind report that attempted to compile such an estimate.

Natural and man-made disasters have led to $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over the last three decades, said the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on Friday (Oct 13) in its first-of-its-kind report that attempted to compile such an estimate. The world has also lost over $120 billion per year which amounts to five per cent of the annual global agricultural GDP. Findings of the report The UN food agency estimated that disasters like floods, droughts, insect infestations, storms, disease and war have caused $123 billion every year in lost food production between 1991 and 2021, which would have been enough to feed up to half a billion people per year. The new report by FAO titled “The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security” shows the first-ever global estimation of the impact on agricultural production with a focus on crops and livestock due to disasters and aims to put into context the scale of the cost of such events. The report also highlights the need for urgently improving data and information on the impact of disasters and notes how they have increased in frequency from 100 per year in the 1970s to a whopping 400 events per year in the past 20 years. According to FAO, the average annual grain losses amounted to 69 million tonnes in the last three decades or so – which is equivalent to the entire cereal production of France in 2021. ALSO READ | Explained | Int’l day of awareness of food loss & waste reduction: Here's how food waste affects environment Additionally, the world lost some 40 million tonnes of fruit and vegetable production and 16 million tonnes of meat, dairy and eggs to disasters. Around 23 per cent of losses due to disasters were sustained in the agricultural sector. “Agriculture is one of the most highly exposed and vulnerable sectors in the context of disaster risk, given its profound dependence on natural resources and climate conditions. Recurrent disasters have the potential to erode gains in food security and undermine the sustainability of agrifood systems,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in the report. The UN food agency also found that lower and lower middle-income countries witnessed “highest relative” losses of up to 15 per cent of their total agricultural GDP. While Small Island Developing States (SIDS) reportedly lost seven per cent of their agricultural GDP. Impact on women According to the FAO, women were also hit harder than men due to these disasters. This has been attributed to resource and structural constraints which women face to access “information, financial instruments, the resources that they need to prepare to respond to or recover from disaster events,” said the report’s author, Zehra Zaidi. Situation to worsen? The FAO has identified climate change as one of the “systemic drivers of disaster risk” while other factors include pandemics, epidemics and armed conflicts. ALSO READ | World sugar prices hit 13-year high in Sep due to El Nino; food price index 'mostly stable': FAO According to the UN food agency, the disaster events are not only increasing in frequency but also becoming more intense and complex. “The international community is taking stock of the fact that disasters are... increasing tremendously...quadrupling since the 1970s” and are having an increasing impact on food production, the deputy head of FAO’s statistics department, Piero Conforti, told AFP. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Disasters have caused $3.8 trillion crop, livestock losses over 30 years: FAO report

Earthworms, as per new research, are the unsung heroes of food production, with contributions that match Russia, one of the top grain producers globally.

As per the new study evaluating the enormous role earthworms play in food production, these soil-dwelling invertebrate contribute to the harvest of around 140 million tonnes every year.

<h2>Fourth-largest producer worldwide</h2>

As per the Guardian, in 2022, Russia produced some 150 million tonnes. This year, the nation is expected to produce around 120 million tonnes.&nbsp;

Earthworms's contribution to the production of 140 million tonnes would've made them "the fourth-largest global producer if they were a country", reports the Guardian.

As per the study published in Nature Communications, the worm that is also known as 'night crawler' contributes to 6.5 per cent of all grain harvests globally. This includes crops like rice, maize, wheat and barley.

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Furthermore, they also contribute to about 2.3 per cent or around 16 million metric tonnes of legume production. This includes crops like soybean, dry beans, peas, garbanzos, lentils, alfalfa, clover.

Their contribution is highest in the global south, where earthworms contribute to 10 per cent of production in Sub-Saharan Africa, and eight per cent in Latin America and Caribbean.

<h2>How do earthworms do this?</h2>

Scientists have long been aware of earthworms and their contribution to enhancing plant growth. Charles Darwin, a naturalist, wrote about this way back in 1881. However, this research is the first time that a number has been put to exactly how much they help.

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The worms feed on organic materials in the soil, eating both fresh and decaying materials from the plant roots. They then mix their waste into the soil as they move, creating a moist, microbe-rich environment. Furthermore, the tunnels they create bring in oxygen, help drain excess water and create&nbsp;space for plant roots.

As amazing as the results are, the researchers caution that they "do not advocate for the widespread inoculation of earthworms to regions where they are not currently present, as this can have highly undesirable ecological consequences for adjacent natural areas." Instead, they suggest that continued research and promotion of agroecological management practices that and contribute to "long-term sustainability and resilience of agriculture".

(With inputs from agencies)

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Earthworms, as per new research, are the unsung heroes of food production, with contributions that match Russia, one of the top grain producers globally. As per the new study evaluating the enormous role earthworms play in food production, these soil-dwelling invertebrate contribute to the harvest of around 140 million tonnes every year.

Earthworms, as per new research, are the unsung heroes of food production, with contributions that match Russia, one of the top grain producers globally. As per the new study evaluating the enormous role earthworms play in food production, these soil-dwelling invertebrate contribute to the harvest of around 140 million tonnes every year. Fourth-largest producer worldwide As per the Guardian, in 2022, Russia produced some 150 million tonnes. This year, the nation is expected to produce around 120 million tonnes. Earthworms's contribution to the production of 140 million tonnes would've made them "the fourth-largest global producer if they were a country", reports the Guardian. As per the study published in Nature Communications, the worm that is also known as 'night crawler' contributes to 6.5 per cent of all grain harvests globally. This includes crops like rice, maize, wheat and barley. Also read | Scientists discover rare, stunning electric blue-coloured Tarantula species in Thailand's lush jungles Furthermore, they also contribute to about 2.3 per cent or around 16 million metric tonnes of legume production. This includes crops like soybean, dry beans, peas, garbanzos, lentils, alfalfa, clover. Their contribution is highest in the global south, where earthworms contribute to 10 per cent of production in Sub-Saharan Africa, and eight per cent in Latin America and Caribbean. How do earthworms do this? Scientists have long been aware of earthworms and their contribution to enhancing plant growth. Charles Darwin, a naturalist, wrote about this way back in 1881. However, this research is the first time that a number has been put to exactly how much they help. Also read | Dangerous rat-borne disease threatens southeastern US, warn scientists The worms feed on organic materials in the soil, eating both fresh and decaying materials from the plant roots. They then mix their waste into the soil as they move, creating a moist, microbe-rich environment. Furthermore, the tunnels they create bring in oxygen, help drain excess water and create space for plant roots. As amazing as the results are, the researchers caution that they "do not advocate for the widespread inoculation of earthworms to regions where they are not currently present, as this can have highly undesirable ecological consequences for adjacent natural areas." Instead, they suggest that continued research and promotion of agroecological management practices that and contribute to "long-term sustainability and resilience of agriculture". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Earthworms emerge as the unsung heroes of global grain production, rivalling Russia's contribution

Large tracts of government-owned property in Pakistan are being taken over by the army for the purpose of growing food, but this is raising questions about the military's widespread influence in a nation that is on the verge of economic collapse.

Pakistan army to takeover one million acres of farmland to boost food production

Europe is suffering from an unprecedented and extreme heatwaves. There have been nearly 2,000 deaths due to heat and wildfires in the past few days; transportation across the continent has also been disrupted and thousands have been displaced. Apart from its impact on our daily lives, extreme weather can also have lasting effect on food production.

WION Climate Tracker | Climate change affects global food production

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E-commerce: How an Iberian ham producer reinvented itself amid the coronavirus pandemic

North Korea recorded its worst harvest for more than a decade last year, the United Nations said Wednesday, as natural disasters combined with its lack of arable land and inefficient agriculture to hit production.

The isolated North, which is under several sets of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, has long struggled to feed itself and suffers chronic food shortages.

But last year's harvest was just 4.95 million tonnes, the United Nations said in its Needs and Priorities assessment for 2019, down by 500,000 tonnes.

It was "the lowest production in more than a decade", the UN's Resident Coordinator in the North Tapan Mishra said in a statement.

"This has resulted in a significant food gap."

As a result, 10.9 million people in the North needed humanitarian assistance -- 600,000 more than last year -- with a potential for increased malnutrition and illness.

It is equivalent to 43 per cent of the population.

But while the number of people needing help rose, the UN has had to cut its target for people to help -- from 6.0 million to 3.8 million -- as it seeks to prioritise those most in need.

Funding has fallen far short of what the UN says it needs.

Only 24 per cent of last year's appeal was met, with Mishra describing it as "one of the lowest funded humanitarian plans in the world".

Several agencies had been forced to scale back their programmes and some faced closing projects, he said, appealing to donors to "not let political considerations get in the way of addressing the humanitarian need".

"The human cost of our inability to respond is unmeasurable," he said, adding that sanctions had created unintended delays and challenges to humanitarian programmes, even though they are exempt under UN Security Council resolutions.

Arduous March&nbsp; 
The impoverished North has been frequently condemned by the international community for decades of prioritising the military and its nuclear weapons programme over adequately providing for its people -- an imbalance some critics say the UN's aid programme encourages.

Ahead of his Hanoi summit with leader Kim Jong Un last week, US President Donald Trump repeatedly dangled the prospect of the North becoming an economic powerhouse if it gave up its arsenal, but the two were unable to reach a deal.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies said -- based on its analysis of satellite imagery -- activity is "evident" at a North Korean long-range rocket test site, suggesting Pyongyang may be pursuing its "rapid rebuilding" after the failed summit.

The country industrialised rapidly following the end of the Korean War and for a time was wealthier than the South. Funding from Moscow papered over the effects of chronic economic mismanagement, but that came to an end with the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was followed by a crippling famine.

That episode -- known as the Arduous March, when hundreds of thousands of people died -- is in the past but North Korea does not have access to the latest agricultural technology or fertilisers and its yields are well below global averages.

It is also a rugged, largely mountainous, country with only around 20 per cent of its land area suitable for cultivation.&nbsp;

It was hit by a heatwave in July and August last year, followed by heavy rains and flash floods from Typhoon Soulik. As a result, the UN said, rice and wheat crops were down 12 to 14 per cent.

The figure is significantly larger than in the South, where rice production was down only 2.6 per cent last year, according to Seoul's statistics, even though it experiences similar weather and climate.

The North's soybean output slumped 39 per cent and production of potatoes -- promoted by leader Kim as a way to increase supplies -- was 34 per cent down, the UN said.

Last month Pyongyang told the UN that it was facing a shortfall of 1.4 million tonnes of food this year.

Mishra insisted that humanitarian agencies were able to monitor their programmes "rigorously" to make sure that help reached the most vulnerable people, adding: "We simply cannot leave them behind."

North Korea recorded its worst harvest for more than a decade last year, the United Nations said Wednesday, as natural disasters combined with its lack of arable land and inefficient agriculture to hit production.

North Korea recorded its worst harvest for more than a decade last year, the United Nations said Wednesday, as natural disasters combined with its lack of arable land and inefficient agriculture to hit production. The isolated North, which is under several sets of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, has long struggled to feed itself and suffers chronic food shortages. But last year's harvest was just 4.95 million tonnes, the United Nations said in its Needs and Priorities assessment for 2019, down by 500,000 tonnes. It was "the lowest production in more than a decade", the UN's Resident Coordinator in the North Tapan Mishra said in a statement. "This has resulted in a significant food gap." As a result, 10.9 million people in the North needed humanitarian assistance -- 600,000 more than last year -- with a potential for increased malnutrition and illness. It is equivalent to 43 per cent of the population. But while the number of people needing help rose, the UN has had to cut its target for people to help -- from 6.0 million to 3.8 million -- as it seeks to prioritise those most in need. Funding has fallen far short of what the UN says it needs. Only 24 per cent of last year's appeal was met, with Mishra describing it as "one of the lowest funded humanitarian plans in the world". Several agencies had been forced to scale back their programmes and some faced closing projects, he said, appealing to donors to "not let political considerations get in the way of addressing the humanitarian need". "The human cost of our inability to respond is unmeasurable," he said, adding that sanctions had created unintended delays and challenges to humanitarian programmes, even though they are exempt under UN Security Council resolutions. Arduous March The impoverished North has been frequently condemned by the international community for decades of prioritising the military and its nuclear weapons programme over adequately providing for its people -- an imbalance some critics say the UN's aid programme encourages. Ahead of his Hanoi summit with leader Kim Jong Un last week, US President Donald Trump repeatedly dangled the prospect of the North becoming an economic powerhouse if it gave up its arsenal, but the two were unable to reach a deal. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said -- based on its analysis of satellite imagery -- activity is "evident" at a North Korean long-range rocket test site, suggesting Pyongyang may be pursuing its "rapid rebuilding" after the failed summit. The country industrialised rapidly following the end of the Korean War and for a time was wealthier than the South. Funding from Moscow papered over the effects of chronic economic mismanagement, but that came to an end with the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was followed by a crippling famine. That episode -- known as the Arduous March, when hundreds of thousands of people died -- is in the past but North Korea does not have access to the latest agricultural technology or fertilisers and its yields are well below global averages. It is also a rugged, largely mountainous, country with only around 20 per cent of its land area suitable for cultivation. It was hit by a heatwave in July and August last year, followed by heavy rains and flash floods from Typhoon Soulik. As a result, the UN said, rice and wheat crops were down 12 to 14 per cent. The figure is significantly larger than in the South, where rice production was down only 2.6 per cent last year, according to Seoul's statistics, even though it experiences similar weather and climate. The North's soybean output slumped 39 per cent and production of potatoes -- promoted by leader Kim as a way to increase supplies -- was 34 per cent down, the UN said. Last month Pyongyang told the UN that it was facing a shortfall of 1.4 million tonnes of food this year. Mishra insisted that humanitarian agencies were able to monitor their programmes "rigorously" to make sure that help reached the most vulnerable people, adding: "We simply cannot leave them behind."

North Korea food production 'lowest for a decade': UN

A report released by Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre said that over 500,000 people are still affected by the drought in 10 districts of Sri Lanka.

Affected districts are located in the northern, northwestern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

The worst affected area with 216,670 people suffering from drought is in Puttalam district, news agency Xinhua reported.

Affected people are facing issues like drinking water and crop damage.

The drought has affected food production as well as affected area is a major rice cultivating area.

However, the government has claimed that it had taken all necessary steps to avoid any food shortage during the current circumstance.&nbsp

Affected districts are located in the northern, northwestern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka

A report released by Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre said that over 500,000 people are still affected by the drought in 10 districts of Sri Lanka. Affected districts are located in the northern, northwestern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The worst affected area with 216,670 people suffering from drought is in Puttalam district, news agency Xinhua reported. Affected people are facing issues like drinking water and crop damage. The drought has affected food production as well as affected area is a major rice cultivating area. However, the government has claimed that it had taken all necessary steps to avoid any food shortage during the current circumstance.

Sri Lanka: Over 500,000 people are affected from drought

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