Photo: Due to high temperatures and drought, a large number of fish died in the Bustillos Lagoon in northern Mexico. AFP

As extreme weather becomes more frequent, the phenomenon of “heatflation” has attracted attention. According to the World Economic Forum, heatflation refers to the phenomenon of extreme high temperatures leading to a sharp increase in food prices, posing a major threat to food security.

Extreme heat can damage crops in many ways. Drought leads to crop failures, and high temperatures can also affect the quality of crops, making them less nutritious and more susceptible to spoilage. Climate change can change the habits of some agricultural pests. For example, warming may lead to an expansion of the geographical distribution of insects, an increase in their survival rate over the winter, and an increase in the difficulty of prevention and control, thus causing greater losses to crops.

Affected by high temperatures and drought, olive trees in southern Europe, cocoa trees in Africa, and coffee production in Brazil and Vietnam have decreased, and the prices of olive oil, chocolate and coffee beans have risen. According to a study published in March this year, researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the European Central Bank explored the impact of thermal inflation on future food costs. The study examined the prices of food and other commodities in 121 countries since 1996. The researchers concluded that by 2035, climate change could push food prices up by about 1% to 3% per year. By 2060, the annual increase could be as high as 4.3%.

The study also shows that hot inflation may have a greater impact on hot weather regions such as the Middle East, Africa and South America. In some Middle Eastern countries, overall inflation rates have reached double or even triple digits. For example, Egypt’s overall inflation rate is currently over 30%, and food price inflation is over 40%.

Experts say rising food prices, which have sparked social unrest in the Middle East, typically hit the most vulnerable in low-income households the hardest.

(Deutsche Welle)