El Niño 2026/27 poses major threat to global food systems
The potentially historic El Niño weather event currently developing could trigger far-reaching consequences for global food security.
This warning was sounded by Prof Eoin McLaughlin of Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and Prof Matthias Beck of University College Cork (UCC).
In a recently published article entitled, 'The super El Niño is more than a climate shock – it’s a health one, too', they warned that the 2026/27 El Niño weather event could be among the strongest in more than a century.
Food shortages
The article highlights the interconnected threats posed by food shortages and disease outbreaks and argues that "these challenges must be addressed together rather than treated as separate emergencies".
“Major natural disasters can have drastic adverse impacts on food supplies and human health," Prof Beck said.
"We need to move beyond responding to individual disasters and recognise how climate shocks can trigger wider humanitarian emergencies.
"Governments and international organisations must prepare for these interconnected risks before they escalate,” he said.
According to the statement, recognising the connections between climate disruption, food security and public health, "policymakers can better anticipate the consequences of extreme weather and strengthen protections for vulnerable communities".
In the article, the researchers explained that the same climatic disturbance "can have very different outcomes depending on the economic and institutional conditions in which it occurs".
Global pressure
"The latest El Niño is occurring at a time when global food systems are under pressure.
"Ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran have disrupted agricultural production and trade, and fertilisers are in short supply.
"In isolation, many countries could withstand a major El Niño, but the combined effect of several shocks could overwhelm that resilience," the article said.
In additions, these interactions could also create health risks that are less obvious, according to the researchers.
"Food shortages and changes in relative prices can alter what people eat and where they obtain their food from, potentially increasing contact with animals carrying zoonotic diseases.
"The consequences are hard to predict, but planning can avert the worst outcomes."
El Niño
According to a statement by UCC, "El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon associated with unusually warm ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific.
"It can disrupt weather patterns across the globe, contributing to droughts, flooding, and extreme temperatures in different regions."
