Climate change is disrupting food systems across Latin America, UN report says

A recent United Nations report reveals that in 2023, violent weather events worsened by climate change contributed to increased hunger and food insecurity across Latin America and the Caribbean.

A new United Nations report highlights how climate change is severely impacting food systems across Latin America and the Caribbean. The report, compiled by several UN agencies including the World Food Program (WFP), reveals that extreme weather events have led to increased hunger and food insecurity in the region.

In 2023, the rising prices of crops in several countries were driven by extreme weather conditions. In Argentina, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, hot weather and droughts, worsened by the El Niño phenomenon, caused the price of corn to soar. Meanwhile, heavy rains in Ecuador led to a 32% to 54% rise in wholesale prices.

Although social safety nets have helped reduce undernourishment in the region, the report warns that the most vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas, remain at higher risk of food insecurity due to the ongoing effects of climate change.

A 2020 study cited in the report found that 36% of 439 small farms surveyed in rural Honduras and Guatemala faced "episodic food insecurity as a result of extreme weather events."

Ivy Blackmore, a researcher from the University of Missouri who studied nutrition and agriculture in Indigenous farming communities in Ecuador, explained, "In more rural areas, they lack the resources needed to cope with a poor harvest."

She explained that the income generated isn't as high, and nutritious food is scarce, so people sell what they can and then buy the cheapest options to fill themselves up.

In the communities Blackmore studied, prolonged rainfall caused erosion, prompting farmers to move to nearby virgin grasslands for cultivation.

“They may have a few successful harvests, but as erosion continues, they clear more land,” Blackmore explained. “This leads to severe erosion as they focus on short-term survival without addressing the long-term effects.”

With extreme weather driving up food prices, many consumers turn to cheaper, less nutritious ultra-processed foods. This trend is especially concerning in Latin America, where the UN report highlights that "the cost of healthy diets is the highest in the world," while both childhood and adult obesity have surged since 2000.