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Two United Nations agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), have warned that intensifying extreme heat is putting global food systems under strain, threatening crop yields, livestock and global food supply chains.
Extreme heat refers to unusually high temperatures for a specific location and time and is linked to heatwaves, periods of prolonged, excessive heat.
The FAO and WMO, in a joint report, noted that long periods of unusually high temperatures during the day and at night are affecting crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, putting the communities that rely on them at risk of food insecurity.
🌡️ Extreme heat is already affecting crops, livestock, forests, fisheries & the people who produce our food.
New @FAO–@WMO report on #ExtremeHeat & Agriculture shows the impacts & #ClimateAction needed to respond to this growing threat.
🔗 https://t.co/dyTg4xyBHp#EarthDay pic.twitter.com/VHBsBrPZoz
— Food and Agriculture Organization (@FAO) April 22, 2026
According to WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, extreme heat is defining the conditions under which food systems operate. Saulo warned that extreme heat compounds the weaknesses of agricultural systems.
Explaining the impact of extreme heat on food systems, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said it is a major risk multiplier that exerts mounting pressure on crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, and on the communities and economies that depend on them.
Rising ocean temperatures are reducing oxygen levels and putting fish under strain. Forests are also affected, as extreme heat disrupts photosynthesis and increases the risk of wildfires.
Extreme heat also aggravates other climate risks, such as droughts and water scarcity. It can also increase wildfire risks and exacerbate the spread of pests and diseases. The report described these as compound effects of extreme heat.
The impacts of extreme heat are already severe in some regions. In Kyrgyzstan, for instance, a 2025 heat event saw temperatures rise by around 10°C above normal, contributing to a 25% decline in cereal harvests, triggering locust swarms, and reducing irrigation capacity.
Prolonged heat and drought conditions in Brazil cut soybean yields by as much as 20%, while a major heatwave across North America in 2021 led to significant losses in fruit crops and a sharp spike in forest fires in 2024.
In parts of South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the human toll of extreme heat is severe. The number of days too hot to work could rise to 250 per year, putting millions of agricultural workers at risk and undermining food production.
