Strong El Niño threatens global food security, World Bank warns

The intensifying El Niño conditions are expected to disrupt harvests of key commodities during the coming year, according to assessments by major international financial institutions. Rice and coffee production face particular vulnerability to the warming ocean temperatures and altered weather patterns characteristic of strong El Niño events, which occur irregularly in the tropical Pacific.

The World Bank has warned that these agricultural disruptions could translate into significant price pressures, with projections indicating food prices may rise by approximately 18 percent in the year ahead. Such increases would have far-reaching implications for food security and inflation across developing nations, particularly those heavily dependent on imported staples.

Regional economies throughout South and Southeast Asia, where rice is a dietary cornerstone and coffee a major export commodity, face potential economic headwinds from both production shortfalls and rising input costs. The anticipated price increases come at a time when many nations are already managing inflationary pressures and currency fluctuations.

Farmers and policymakers across affected regions are monitoring the El Niño development closely, with some governments considering measures to stabilize domestic food supplies and prices during the critical months ahead.