DUBAI: Extreme heat is becoming a defining challenge for global food production, with the Middle East among the most exposed regions.
A joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization warns that rising temperatures are no longer a seasonal issue but a structural threat to food systems, putting the livelihoods of more than 1.23 billion people at risk.
The report describes heat as a “risk multiplier,” intensifying drought, water scarcity and crop losses while increasing pressure on farmers and rural workers.
The agricultural impact is already visible. According to the FAO-WMO report, crop productivity declines sharply once temperatures exceed around 30°C, while heat stress is reducing the number of hours farm workers can safely operate outdoors.
In some cases, conditions are becoming unsafe for work for large parts of the year, raising questions not only about yields but about the long-term viability of farming in high-temperature regions.
