Poor Farmers Bear The Brunt Of Natural Disasters. A New UN System Is Working To Better Protect Them

New UN System Working To Protect Poor Farmers From Natural Disasters
Filipino farmer Gamaliel Pagharion inspects his rice farm after it was damaged by flood and pests, a recipe for a failed harvest in Pigcawayan the rice producing town of North Cotabato province in southern Mindanao island on May 9, 2008. Philippine authorities would pursue an 'aggressive' buying policy to boost rice stocks for one of the world's largest rice importers ahead of the typhoon season and supply cheap rice to the poor. The shift to biofuels productions or other land use, trade restrictions, increased demand from Asia, poor harvests due to calamities and pests and higher transport costs have all been blamed for the price rises to near-record levels in recent months. AFP PHOTO/MARK NAVALES (Photo credit should read MARK NAVALES/AFP/Getty Images)
Filipino farmer Gamaliel Pagharion inspects his rice farm after it was damaged by flood and pests, a recipe for a failed harvest in Pigcawayan the rice producing town of North Cotabato province in southern Mindanao island on May 9, 2008. Philippine authorities would pursue an 'aggressive' buying policy to boost rice stocks for one of the world's largest rice importers ahead of the typhoon season and supply cheap rice to the poor. The shift to biofuels productions or other land use, trade restrictions, increased demand from Asia, poor harvests due to calamities and pests and higher transport costs have all been blamed for the price rises to near-record levels in recent months. AFP PHOTO/MARK NAVALES (Photo credit should read MARK NAVALES/AFP/Getty Images)

Nearly a quarter of the damages caused by natural disasters in the developing world affect the agricultural sector, exacting a heavy cost on poor farmers who do not have insurance or the resources to rebuild their lives after floods, droughts or other extreme events, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has said.

The initial findings of a new report on the impact of natural disasters on agriculture and food security were released by the FAO at the third world conference on disaster risk reduction in Sendai, Japan, and showed that the cost to farmers was considerably higher than previously estimated.

Between 2003–2013, natural hazards and disasters in developing countries affected more than 1.9 billion people, and caused more than $494bn in damages. Economic losses from natural disasters have tripled over the past decade, and continue to rise.

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