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In our recent interview with Unispice CEO Christopher Safieh, farms were identified as the weakest link in the food value chain. Unpredictable and severe weather patterns further compound this. However, there are ways to mitigate these challenges that require farmers to take a proactive rather than a reactive approach. The key to taking on this proactive approach is data— collecting it and leveraging it wisely.

This data-centric approach empowers farmers, giving them the information they need to make informed decisions and adapt to changing conditions.

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Even without the influence of droughts and hurricanes, farmers are already fighting an uphill battle due to soil-depleting agricultural practices. Farms are the most vulnerable link in the entirety of the food value chain. Up to 40 % of the world’ s agricultural land is classified as severely degraded due to destructive farming practices. Extreme weather events add further complications. According to the USDA, the impacts of droughts and hurricanes will be variable, with many regions within the U. S. projected to experience increases in precipitation amounts. In contrast, other areas are likely to experience increases in drought frequency and severity. The same USDA report states that, with rainfree periods lengthening and individual precipitation, events are expected to become more erratic and intense, leading to more runoff. Rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will alter crop-water requirements, crop-water availability, crop productivity and costs of water access, resulting in differential effects across the agricultural landscape.

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