Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
4 weeks without rainfall were enough to destroy staple crop plantings in agricultural communities in Guatemala and El Salvador, worsening food insecurity risks.
4 Central American countries, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, contain extensive areas of the Dry Corridor exposed to prolonged droughts and extreme rainfall associated with El Niño.
1.5 million tonnes would be the volume of Russian wheat exports in July 2026, approximately one-third below the previous year and the lowest July volume since 2017.
Between 25% and 30% of global wheat exports are concentrated in Russia and Ukraine, meaning disruptions in the Black Sea immediately affect international supply and prices.
16% was the cumulative increase in wheat futures during July 2026, driven by the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, while maize reached its highest value in more than two months.
It decreased by 3.5% compared to the level in May 2026. It averaged 110.2 points in June 2026. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2026).
More than 100,000 people in 250 rural communities benefited from anticipatory actions implemented in nine countries during the 2023-2024 El Niño event, with increases of up to 40% in maize and bean production in some Central American countries.
Nearly 30% was the year-on-year increase in grain harvests during intense El Niño events, such as 1997 and 2014-2016, due to productivity gains.
26% of climate disaster damages in LAC are absorbed by the agricultural sector on average, rising to 82% during droughts; equatorial Pacific warming also severely impacts Caribbean coastal fisheries (Castellanos, 2026).
During the 2025-2026 agricultural season in the Peruvian highlands, the frosts of February 2026 affected between 50% and 100% of the quinoa, potato, and forage crops, with variable development, from good to fair. (National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru, 2026).
