The price of food is on the rise, and one reason is climate change. A new report from the Texas Department of Agriculture points to a warming planet for harming farming and ranching.
In addition to climate change, food costs have also been negatively impacted by the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, higher fertilizer costs, and higher energy prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The report, titled 鈥�,鈥� explained that record droughts and record flooding are taking a toll on the state鈥檚 ability to grow food, and that鈥檚 increasing growing food insecurity in Texas.
, said the impacts of climate change on food affordability were clear.
鈥淭he temperatures are hotter, colder, wetter and dryer. That seems like a contradiction but that鈥檚 the very essence of climate change that we鈥檙e seeing. This cycle is playing out unfortunately against agriculture in Texas,鈥� Marty said.
The food access study, conducted with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, found that 鈥渃limate instability鈥� is worsening soil loss, water quality, droughts, fires, floods and other environmental disasters in the state.
鈥淚t is very difficult to produce fruits and vegetables and graze cattle in an environment that is both unpredictable and extreme,鈥� it explained.
2022 was one of the driest years on record for Texas, and about half of the state was still in drought by the end of the year.
This resulted in crop failures and low yields for farmers. Ranchers were forced to cull their cattle.
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