Expert: Global food supply threatened by three factors

Professor Evan Fraser from the University of Guelph in Canada has identified three factors threatening global food supplies: conflict, climate change, and declining harvests in several major commodity-producing countries. Conflict has disrupted food supply routes, such as those for grains, while climate change is worsening the situation by lowering water levels along key shipping routes. Additionally, as reported by The New York Times, Fraser said heatwaves and drought are causing harvests to decline in major food-producing countries. Fraser said the global food system has long depended on three things: smooth trade, cheap energy, and a stable climate. However, all three conditions are now facing disruption. “The system we have today depends on three things: smooth trade, cheap energy, and a stable climate. At present, it appears that none of these assumptions are being met,” said the global food systems expert. France and Germany are also forecasting lower harvests due to abnormally high temperatures. Nevertheless, wheat stocks from last year’s harvest remain reasonably good and are helping to cushion pressure on global food prices. Fraser believes the food system that has operated for many years is no longer suited to current conditions and needs to be reconsidered.