8. How does drought affect food security?

Global warming and drought are two of the factors that pose the greatest threat to food security and agricultural production.

The drought has caused losses in “281 thousand hectares of beans and corn in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, affecting the food security of 2.1 million people.” FAO

Between 1980 and 2015, “drought has reduced wheat and corn yields by as much as 40% worldwide… Every degree Celsius rise translates to a 6% loss in global wheat production”, according to National Geographic.

This same source reports that Dr. Aqarab Husnain Gondal , of the Faisalabad University of Agriculture in Pakistan, “suggests that understanding the biochemical, ecological and physiological responses of plants to heat and drought stress is increasingly essential for solutions and more practical management.”