“The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security” Report

October 16, 2023

A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that natural disasters have resulted in approximately $3.8 trillion worth of crop and livestock production losses over the past 30 years. Asia has borne the largest share of these economic losses. This report marks the first global estimation of the impact of disasters on agricultural production, focusing on crops and livestock.

Magnitude of Losses

The $3.8 trillion loss averages to $123 billion annually, equivalent to 5% of the global agricultural gross domestic product (GDP).
Major agricultural products such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, sugar crops, meats, dairy products, and eggs have experienced significant losses over the last three decades.
Cereal losses alone averaged 69 million tonnes per year, equivalent to France’s entire cereal production in 2021.
Fruits and vegetables, as well as sugar crops, witnessed average losses of 40 million tonnes per year.
Meats, dairy products, and eggs suffered an estimated loss of 16 million tonnes per year, comparable to the entire production of these products in Mexico and India in 2021.

Regional Variability

Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas all experienced substantial agricultural losses due to disasters.
In Asia, losses accounted for 4% of agricultural added value, while in Africa, they amounted to nearly 8%.
Lower and lower-middle-income countries incurred the highest relative losses, up to 15% of their total agricultural GDP.
Small Island Developing States lost nearly 7% of their agricultural GDP due to disasters.

Impact on Food Security

Agriculture, highly dependent on natural resources and climate conditions, is one of the most vulnerable sectors to disaster risk.
Recurrent disasters can undermine food security and the sustainability of agrifood systems.

Building Resilience

Proactive and timely interventions, based on hazard forecasts, are essential to build resilience and reduce risks in agriculture.
The report emphasizes that every $1 invested in anticipatory action can yield up to $7 in benefits and prevent agricultural losses.

Priorities for Action

Improve data and information on disaster impacts across all agricultural subsectors.
Develop and integrate multisectoral and multi-hazard disaster risk reduction approaches into policies and programs at all levels.
Enhance investments in resilience to reduce disaster risk in agriculture while improving agricultural production and livelihoods.

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