Local farmers in Africa harvest fruits to support food security and community well-being.
A new report has warned that the climate crisis is driving global food price surges, linking recent extreme weather events to dramatic cost spikes in staples such as cocoa, rice, coffee, and lettuce. Scientists found that events such as climate change-induced floods, droughts, and heatwaves are triggering price hikes, such as a 280% rise in cocoa prices following West African heatwaves in early 2024 and a 40% increase in overall food prices in Ethiopia after a 2022 drought. These changes are hitting low-income families hardest, as food prices climb alongside political tensions in countries across the globe. Released ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, the report underscores the urgent need for deeper emissions cuts to curb worsening climate impacts and prevent further shocks to global food systems.
Aljazeera