What is El Niño and how does it impact food security around the world?

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere has already seen record-breaking heat waves and devastating wildfires in countries including Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Canada. It’s a situation that has been made much more likely by human-caused climate change, according to the Weather Attribution Initiative. Another aggravating factor, setting the stage for higher global temperatures and disruptive weather in general, is the start of El Niño — which was officially declared by the World Meteorological Organization on July 4. What is El Niño? The naturally occurring climate pattern happens every two to seven years and can affect weather in a number of ways, including increasing the likelihood of droughts and changing rainfall patterns. Against the backdrop of climate change and global conflicts, it’s a worrying added pressure on food systems amid a global food crisis, causing concern among food security leaders and officials. Explore our visual story to find out more about what causes El Niño, its impact, and what experts are predicting it will mean for farmers on the front lines and for global food security at large. Visit Food Secured — a series that explores how to save the food system and where experts share groundbreaking solutions for a sustainable and resilient future. This is an editorially independent piece produced as part of our Food Secured series, which is funded by partners. To learn more about this series and our partners, click here.