By Faridat Salifu
Global agriculture has suffered $3.26 trillion in disaster-related losses over the past three decades, a new report by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has revealed.
FAO’s 2025 assessment shows that droughts, floods, storms, pests and marine heatwaves are destroying an average of $99 billion in agricultural output every year, amounting to four percent of global agricultural GDP.
The report, titled The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025, is the most comprehensive global analysis of disaster impacts on food production, livelihoods and nutrition to date.
It warns that disasters wiped out 4.6 billion tonnes of cereals, 2.8 billion tonnes of fruits and vegetables and 900 million tonnes of meat and dairy between 1991 and 2023.
FAO says these losses translate into a daily per capita reduction of 320 kilocalories, equivalent to up to 16 percent of average energy needs.
Asia accounts for 47 percent of all losses, amounting to $1.53 trillion, reflecting the region’s high exposure to extreme weather and the scale of agricultural production.
The Americas recorded $713 billion in losses, or 22 percent of the global total, driven by recurrent droughts, hurricanes and extreme temperature events.
Africa experienced $611 billion in losses and remains the hardest hit in proportional terms, losing 7.4 percent of agricultural GDP to disasters.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face some of the highest relative losses due to cyclones, flooding and sea-level rise despite having small agricultural sectors.
The report finds that marine heatwaves caused $6.6 billion in losses between 1985 and 2022, yet impacts on fisheries and aquaculture remain largely invisible in official assessments.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said digital technologies are transforming how risk is monitored and managed across global agrifood systems.
He said millions of farmers are now using digital platforms for early warnings, insurance access and real-time decision-making that can help prevent catastrophic losses.
FAO’s analysis highlights a suite of digital innovations, including artificial intelligence, remote sensing, drones, mobile advisory tools, and data platforms designed to anticipate climate shocks and trigger early interventions.
Tools such as the Climate Risk Toolbox (CRTB) are supporting agricultural planning in more than 200 projects worldwide by integrating global risk data.
The Rift Valley Fever Early Warning Tool (RVF-DST) has enabled timely vaccination campaigns in East Africa and limited disease spread.
SoilFER, FAO’s soil and fertilizer mapping platform, is improving sustainable farm practices by matching geospatial soil data with nutrient needs.
The FAMEWS system is helping more than 60 countries track fall armyworm infestations through mobile reporting.
FAO says digital parametric insurance platforms have already insured more than nine million farmers using automated risk-assessment technologies.
Global early warning systems supported by FAO, including GIEWS, have helped communities evacuate early, with some programmes reaching up to 90 percent of at-risk populations before disasters strike.
FAO has also established its first integrated Risk Monitoring and Situation Room to coordinate real-time tracking of shocks and guide anticipatory action.
The organisation says digital innovation is shifting agrifood systems from reactive crisis response to proactive, data-driven resilience building.
However, FAO warns that 2.6 billion people remain offline, many of them smallholder farmers in rural areas who face the highest climate and disaster risks.
The report says digital transformation must be accompanied by capacity development, policy reform and investment in rural connectivity to ensure inclusive adoption.
FAO is calling on governments, development partners and the private sector to scale up digital infrastructure, expand literacy programmes and embed digital tools into national agriculture strategies.
The agency says bridging these gaps is essential for building disaster-resilient food systems and protecting livelihoods in a rapidly changing climate.