In New York, world hunger has risen for a third consecutive year, according to the United Nations’ annual food security report. The total number of people who face chronic food deprivation has increased by 15 million since 2016. Some 821 million people now face food insecurity.
The causes of food insecurity are complex and interrelated with climate change emerging as a troubling problem that influences all others. Earth’s climate has swung into and out of ice ages since the dawn of time. In the last 50 years, however, things have changed.
Agriculture is one of the industries that is most exposed and vulnerable to climate change. A late spring frost can be devastating, and a heat wave during the flowering stage can result in sharply reduced yields. In short, agriculture is the “Goldilocks industry.” The weather should not be too hot or too cold, and rainfall must be “just right.”