Sep 17, 2026 · 12 min · 7 segments
Extreme weather and violent conflicts are threatening food production and trade across the globe. Experts are forecasting a super El Niño, which could further disrupt planting and harvests – and push…
Shawn AritaGuestKate MoodyHostFor more, let's turn to Sean Arita, Associate Director of the Agricultural Risk Policy Center at North Dakota State University, also a former economist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why do you think this question of global food security is coming to the forefront now?
There is significant concerns going on on the global food security front, and in part because there's just been a multitude of factors moving all at once.
I do want to contextualize that we have seen from geopolitical disruptions to the concerns on the weather front with the Super El Nino.
And in fact, right now it is about 21% below what it was, let's say, during the major food price spikes that we have seen back in 2008, as well as 2022.
So one of the key issues is right now we are not in a production crisis, the food does exist, the availability does exist.
The problem is we have enough food, but they're not able to go to all the places that they need to be.
We have these levels of disruptions, these choke points that are being blocked, and they're not moving like how they normally should be.
For more, let's turn to Sean Arita, Associate Director of the Agricultural Risk Policy Center at North Dakota State University, also a former economist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why do you think this question of global food security is coming to the forefront now?
There is significant concerns going on on the global food security front, and in part because there's just been a multitude of factors moving all at once.
I do want to contextualize that we have seen from geopolitical disruptions to the concerns on the weather front with the Super El Nino.
And in fact, right now it is about 21% below what it was, let's say, during the major food price spikes that we have seen back in 2008, as well as 2022.
So one of the key issues is right now we are not in a production crisis, the food does exist, the availability does exist.
The problem is we have enough food, but they're not able to go to all the places that they need to be.
We have these levels of disruptions, these choke points that are being blocked, and they're not moving like how they normally should be.
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