The threat of food shortages

Persistently high temperatures and dry conditions are raising the prospects of food scarcity in Europe. The weather conditions are affecting major producers of wheat, corn, olive oil and fruit.

Also hit hard, in Sicily and elsewhere, is fruit production, with higher prices reflecting the new reality. If weather conditions persist, the danger that the island will turn from a bread basket to a net importer of foodstuffs is very real, experts warn.

But hot and dry conditions are affecting the whole of the Mediterranean, and beyond. Not only are traditional olive oil producers, such as Greece, Italy and Spain see their production threatened, but so are other olive growers, such as Romania. This country’s corn and sunflower production is also facing critical threats, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. The Romanian government has warned that, in that case, the country will also face power outages.

The ravages of the climate crisis, of course, reach beyond Europe, affecting more staple products, such as coffee.

Tags: wheat, Greece, olive oil, Ukraine, Mediterranean, weather conditions, Italy, corn, food scarcity, sunflower, fruit, Romania, Europe, Spain, Production