Super El Nino threatens Asia's food supply

In the mist-wrapped hills of northern Thailand, cacao farmers are bracing for disaster. The cause: a "super" El Nino, a severe climate event that has just begun forming over the Pacific Ocean. “There is no way to know for certain,” farmer Koranut Rattanayanyong told This Week in Asia. “But it could be a total wipeout.” El Nino is a natural climate pattern that warms ocean temperatures. When ocean heat runs 2.5 degrees Celsius above normal, as it does now, scientists call it a "super" El Nino. This extreme version can disrupt rainfall and trigger droughts across Asia, threatening crops like cacao, rice, and palm oil. For farmers like Koranut, the fear is real. Without enough water, entire harvests could fail. The region’s food supply, already fragile, now faces a new and powerful threat.