Global Food System Resilient Against Super El Nino
The global food system is better equipped to handle this year's 'super' El Nino due to decades of farm gains and increased inventories. World farm production has outpaced consumption and population growth since the 1980s, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and analysts.
The improvements have been driven by advancements in crop varieties, fertilizer use, irrigation, and crop protection, leading to higher yields of staples such as rice, wheat, corn, and soybeans. Even during drought conditions, better irrigation management and crop science mean that marketable yields can still be produced, said Andrew Whitelaw of Australian agricultural consultancy Episode 3.
However, the outlook could worsen, as an already strong El Nino is expected to intensify in the fourth quarter and early next year. Expectations are that it will be one of the strongest on record or the strongest the world has ever seen, which means the big impact of dryness has yet to come, said Chris Hyde, a U.S.-based meteorologist at satellite data and imagery firm SkyFi.