Extreme heat pushes agrifood systems to brink: FAO-WMO report

ROME/GENEVA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Apr, 2026) Extreme heat events threaten the livelihoods, health and labour productivity of over a billion people. Agricultural workers and agrifood systems are on the frontlines.

The frequency, intensity and duration of extreme heat events have risen sharply over the past half century, and the risks to agrifood systems and ecosystems are set to soar in the future, according to “Extreme heat and agriculture,” a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

“This work highlights how extreme heat is a major risk multiplier, exerting mounting pressure on crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, and on the communities and economies that depend upon them.” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.

“Extreme heat is increasingly defining the conditions under which agrifood systems operate,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“More than simply an isolated climatic hazard, it acts as a compounding risk factor that magnifies existing weaknesses across agricultural systems. Early warnings and climate services like seasonal outlooks are vital to help us adapt to the new reality,” she said.

The joint FAO-WMO report describes the physical science of extreme heat, the vulnerabilities, observed and projected impacts on agriculture, adaptation strategies, case studies, and offers policy recommendations.

It was released for Earth Day, which falls on 22 April, highlighting the interconnections between our changing climate, food security, agrisystem and ecosystem health.

The report points to the need for innovation and the implementation of adaptative measures such as selective breeding and crop choices adjusted to the new climate reality, adjusting planting windows and altering management practices that can shelter crops and agricultural activities from the impacts of extreme heat.

Early warning systems are a particularly important tool in aiding farmers in their efforts to respond to extreme heat.

Access to financial services – cash transfers, insurance and payment schemes, shock-responsive social protection schemes and other forms – underpins all categories of adaptation options.

“Protecting the future of agriculture and ensuring global food security will require not only building on-farm resilience but also exercising international solidarity and collective political will for risk sharing, and a decisive transition away from a high-emissions future,” the report says.