ROME: Disasters have inflicted an estimated $3.26 trillion in agricultural losses worldwide over the past 33 years – an average of $99 billion annually, roughly 4% of global agricultural GDP – according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025 highlights how digital technologies are transforming how farmers, governments and communities can monitor risks, anticipate impacts, and protect livelihoods.

The report provides the most comprehensive global assessment to date of how disasters – from droughts and floods to pests and marine heatwaves – are disrupting food production, livelihoods and nutrition. It also demonstrates how digital innovations are shifting agrifood systems from reactive crisis management to proactive data-driven resilience-building.

“Digital technologies are already revolutionising how we monitor risks, deliver early warnings and support farmers’ decision-making. From the 9.1 million farmers now accessing parametric insurance through digital platforms to the communities using our early warning systems to evacuate 90% of at-risk populations before disasters strike, we are witnessing a fundamental shift from reactive response to proactive risk reduction,'' said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in the foreword to the report.

Between 1991 and 2023, 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. These losses translate to a daily per capita reduction of 320 kilocalories – 13–16% of average energy needs.

Asia accounts for the largest share of global losses of 47%, totaling $1.53 trillion, reflecting both the scale of agricultural production and the region’s high exposure to floods, storms and droughts.

The Americas represent 22% of global losses or $713 billion, driven by recurrent droughts, hurricanes, and extreme temperature events that heavily impact large commodity crop systems.

Africa, while recording lower absolute losses of $611 billion, suffers the highest proportional impacts, losing 7.4% of agricultural GDP to disasters – the largest relative burden of any region. In economies where agriculture accounts for a significant share of employment and income, these losses have had severe consequences for food security and rural stability.

The report also finds that marine heatwaves caused $6.6 billion in losses between 1985 and 2022, affecting 15% of global fisheries. Yet, losses in fisheries and aquaculture remain largely invisible in disaster assessments, despite supporting the livelihoods of 500 million people.