How the strengthening El Niño threatens global rice production and food security
By
Vito Butardo Jr
Summary
The article examines how the strengthening El Niño weather pattern in the tropical Pacific could severely disrupt global rice production. El Niño is expected to bring drier conditions to key rice-growing regions in Asia, including India, Southeast Asia, and eastern Australia, while also causing heat stress. Since rice is a staple food for billions and heavily depends on irrigation, the combination of reduced rainfall and higher temperatures threatens food supply and could drive up prices. The article contrasts this with wheat, which is less vulnerable to El Niño disruptions.
Source
bskyHow the strengthening El Niño threatens global rice production and food securitytheconversation.comKey quotes
· 4 pulledWhen an El Niño arrives, it reorganises rainfall patterns around the world.
Parts of the Americas and east Africa tend to get heavier rain, while monsoonal rains in Asia get weaker and drier conditions settle over eastern Australia, southeast Asia, India and southern Africa.
This mix of heat and disrupted water supplies could have real consequences for food supply, especially rice.
El Niño doesn't tend to hit wheat as hard, because a bad season
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