Global Warming Is Drowning Farms in $20 Billion in Lost Crops Each Year

The ocean absorbs 90 percent of the excess heat caused by global warming, but that stored energy is moving onto land, bringing stronger storms, higher sea levels, and more intense heatwaves [193203]. This is directly threatening coastal communities and global weather patterns [193203]. On land, the damage is already devastating agriculture. Climate change is destroying crops worldwide, causing financial losses of more than $20 billion each year [193183]. As global temperatures continue to rise, these losses will only increase [193183].

The damage comes from extreme weather events like droughts, floods, and heatwaves, which reduce harvests of staple foods such as wheat, rice, and corn [193183]. Scientists warn that without rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, the economic toll on agriculture will grow, threatening food supplies and farmers' incomes [193183]. The ocean's stored heat is fueling these destructive weather patterns, creating a direct link between warming seas and lost harvests on land [193203][193183].