You wouldn’t be wrong to place some of the blame for rising food costs on climate change. Andrew Layman, chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said climate change was altering weather conditions, which, in turn, altered crop yield patterns.
“Sometimes this is in the form of drought, sometimes unseasonal heavy rains.
“Some areas which have been ideal for growing certain crops may experience climate change and they will no longer be suitable,” he said.
This change in patterns was expected to put pressure on agriculture and result in food shortages.
“If supply does not meet demand, prices go up, so severe shortages result in high increases in prices.”
Rehana Dada, an environmental researcher, said that higher temperatures and erratic patterns also added to the challenges faced by farmers.
“Viruses thrive in the warm, moist environments and attack crops – they are also more difficult to get rid of,” she said.
Dawie Maree, an Agri SA economist, said the weather was contributing to possible rises in food prices.
“Increased demand, given limited supply, results in increases in price.
“A large number of food products, such as maize, are priced based on international prices. The international market therefore has a direct impact on our local market,” he said.
He said that retailers would probably take increasing prices into account when they buy.
“However, they can obviously recover their higher costs from customers,” he said. - Daily News, page 5