In 30 years, R$19 trillion in crops and livestock were lost to catastrophes, says FAO

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Every year, on average, 69 million tons of cereals, 40 million tons of fruits and vegetables and 16 million tons of meat, dairy products and eggs are lost, according to the report. Largest grain harvest in history and low prices for soybeans and corn result in crowded warehouses and tons of corn exposed to high temperatures, possible rains and attacks by insects and rodents COOAVIL/ Disclosure Climate catastrophes, health crises and wars have caused US $3.8 trillion, equivalent to R$19.1 trillion, in crop and livestock losses over 30 years, reveals a report published this Friday (13) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This is equivalent to around US$123 billion or R$621 billion annually, or 5% of the wealth produced by farmers between 1991 and 2021, details the document. “The international community is becoming aware of the considerable increase in the number of disasters (…), which has quadrupled since the 1970s, and the fact that these events have a major impact on agriculture and agri-food systems,” Piero explained to AFP Conforti, from the FAO statistics division, who makes an estimate of this type for the first time. The increase in the number of annual catastrophes is mainly due to climate change – with extreme temperatures, droughts, floods and storms -, pandemics such as Covid-19, epidemics such as African swine fever and armed conflicts, according to the report. The damage increases, not necessarily in value, but in quantity. Every year, on average, 69 million tonnes of cereals, 40 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables and 16 million tonnes of meat, dairy products and eggs are lost. Around 23% of economic losses due to catastrophes are suffered by the agricultural sector. Although Asia suffered the most damage (45% of the total), this corresponds to 4% of its agricultural GDP. But in the Horn of Africa, regularly hit by drought, an average of 15% of crops and livestock are lost. Disasters also have a relatively greater impact on developing island states, which lose an average of 7% of their agricultural GDP. “There is no magic solution (…), but a series of practices can improve the resilience of agricultural systems,” said Conforti. This may involve agronomic techniques, but also preventative actions such as warning systems. Read also: Tree can take up to 12 years to turn into paper: g1 got to know production from the forest Brazil breaks record and carries out the largest rescue of victims of slave labor in the countryside for the first half of 10 years See how food is produced: Where from comes what I eat: edible flowers How the mushroom is tricked into ‘thinking’ it’s in Asia and is cultivated in Brazil Where does sparkling wine come from

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