PARIS — The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters ranging from massive fires to locust invasions are putting food production systems at risk, the United Nations warned Thursday.
The annual occurrences of extreme events have tripled since the 1970s and “their economic impact is relentlessly increasing,” the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report.
“At no other point in history have agri-food systems confronted such an array of new and unprecedented threats, including megafires, extreme weather, unusually large desert locust swarms, and emerging biological threats like the COVID-19 pandemic,” FAO said.
“These hazards not only take lives but als…
Keep on reading: From locusts to fires, agriculture faces growing threats – UN