by PressUN: Indonesia’s rice and coffee exports will decline due to climate change
One of the world’s largest producers may reduce rice exports
Climate change caused by humanity’s destructive activities and the chaotic extraction of the planet’s resources is becoming more and more acute every year. And if previously the main problem was an increase in temperature, now uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse gases lead to a decrease in agricultural production, which threatens a shortage of food in the world. A vivid example of the consequences of the environmental disaster is the export of rice and coffee from Indonesia, which in the near future will be significantly reduced. UN experts call the reason for this situation a sharp decline in production. And the country occupies the leading position in the world market among exporters. Decreased harvest of crops in Indonesia may have a negative impact on the food situation in importing countries.
UN analysts conducted a large-scale study of Indonesia’s agricultural sector. According to the document, climate change leads to the fact that the country’s rice production will decline by millions of tons annually. Thus, Indonesian export supplies will fall by about 30%. This situation will lead to higher prices for rice, it is expected that the cost of culture in the world market will increase by 50% or more.
Global climate processes also affect Indonesian coffee production. If the volume of carbon emissions will not decrease in the nearest years, then it is possible to expect a reduction in the export of Arabica and Robusta beans. Supplies are predicted to drop by 32% by 2050 and could fall by 56-109% between 2050 and 2100.
Although the UN study was primarily aimed at reviewing a country’s food security, in the process experts demonstrated how a decline in production in one state affects global processes and the availability of products on the world market. Crop problems in Indonesia will have serious consequences for countries that are extremely dependent on food imports.
Indonesia is the 4th largest producer of rice in the world market, and its reduction will have a negative impact on the world population’s supply of the crop. First of all, the population of poor countries will suffer, which will not be able to buy products at a high price. Especially considering that in a number of countries rice plays one of the main roles in the food chain.
So far, the situation remains more or less under control, but UN experts note that if active actions to reduce emissions are not taken soon, then the process of reducing production may be irreversible. In addition, higher fertilizer prices and aggressive farming practices that lead to soil depletion aggravate the situation with crop yields.