Food security in southern Mexico and parts of Central America is at risk due to extreme weather events such as droughts, according to a report released this Monday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the organization, 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean may see restricted access to food, known as “undernourishment,” due to the climate crisis.
In its report “Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2024,” the FAO particularly highlights the vulnerability of Central America’s “Dry Corridor” to prolonged droughts. This strip of territory extends from southern Mexico to a region of Panama, passing through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
“Fourteen countries are considered vulnerable because they have a higher probability of experiencing an impact on undernourishment due to these extreme phenomena,” emphasized the organization, with regional headquarters in Santiago, Chile, without revealing the complete list. When consulted, the FAO office also did not detail the reasons for not identifying the other nations at risk.
In addition to droughts, heat waves and intense storms reduce agricultural productivity, disrupt supply chains, and increase food prices, the organization said in its study. Between 2019 and 2023, food insecurity – discontinuous access to food – increased by an average of 1.5% in vulnerable countries.
“Climate variability and extreme events are a threat to the stability of food security and nutrition,” warned Mario Lubetkin, FAO Regional Representative, in a statement. However, hunger affected fewer people in Latin America in 2023, according to the report. That year, 6.2% of the region’s 733 million inhabitants suffered from lack of food, 2.9 million fewer people than in 2022.
