Between 2005 and 2015, the agricultural and livestock losses caused by natural disasters in Latin American and Caribbean countries reached US $ 22 billion. The finding is made by a report drawn up by the Organization of the United Nations for Food and Agriculture (FAO). According to the document, the most destructive phenomenon for the activity was the drought, with losses of US $ 13 billion in crops and livestock.
The research highlights the actions of La Ninã in Brazil and Argentina, with episodes of extreme drought registered in 2012.
In the FAO evaluation, there was a considerable increase in the impact of natural phenomena on agricultural production from 2010 onwards. The four-year period 2011-2014, for example, is worth approximately $ 17 billion in losses – nearly 80 percent of the total for 2005-2015.
When analyzing crops and production chains, the UN agency reveals that vegetables such as beans, lentils and chickpeas were most affected, with losses reaching almost $ 8 billion.