Smart Net-Zero

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | Source | Report |   

This joint FAO–WMO report identifies extreme heat as a rapidly escalating risk multiplier for global agrifood systems. It documents how heat stress reduces crop yields, livestock productivity, fisheries biomass, and agricultural labour capacity, with disproportionate impacts on smallholders, women, and rural workers. The report projects yield losses of 4–10% per additional 1 °C of warming for major staple crops such as maize and wheat, and highlights severe labour impacts, noting that agricultural workers face a far higher risk of heat-related mortality and that 470 billion working hours were lost globally in 2021 due to extreme heat. By linking meteorological data with agrifood outcomes, the report emphasizes the urgency of integrating heat-risk management into climate-smart agriculture (CSA) strategies, early warning systems, and national adaptation planning. It also stresses that adaptation alone will be insufficient under high-emissions scenarios, reinforcing the need for ambitious mitigation.