Drought’s Toll on Farmers, Food in Cop27, and Why the Direct Consumer is nowhere near over | Catch My Job

Drought wears on you mentally. Nebraska organic farmer Kevin Fulton told me earlier this week, when I asked him about his 28 years in the business for my latest feature, out this morning. What he shared with me was serious: “You work hard to keep up with the irrigation. It’s depressing. These kinds of things sometimes push farmers over the edge.”

My story talks about the big challenges that farmers like Fulton have faced this summer, and what lies ahead.

Despite the dangerous task ahead, Fulton is at least optimistic.

“Like most farmers, when we have a bad year, we say it will be better next year. We live to farm another year,” he said. “Sometimes it seems like it can’t get any worse.”

Farmers face an uncertain and dangerous future – feeding the world amid worsening climate change. More than 100 million people worldwide are expected to be in extreme poverty by 2030 due to climate change, and with poverty comes hunger. Already around the world, millions are displaced each year due to climate-related disasters.

“Climate change affects hunger so much in such direct and significant ways, we know that ending hunger will not be possible unless we slow down climate change and adapt to the impacts we already seeing them,” said Director of Bread Policy for the World, Jordan Teague, an expert on climate change and its impact on food insecurity. “These erratic and severe weather patterns affect people’s livelihoods and food security.”

These harsh truths are what I have been thinking about during this long weekend. The end of summer is hitting me like a ton of bricks, although I did get some surprising good news this week: the first review of my upcoming book, Raw Deal, hit, and Publisher’s Weekly called it “an extraordinary call knowledgeable and eye-opening for change.” Thrilling! To celebrate, I will eat every last bit of tomatoes, eggplants and watermelon until the end of this season. I wish you happy chewing.

— Chloe Sorvino, Staff Secretary

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I am moderating a panel focused on the future of food called “Is Modern Agriculture a House of Cards?” Modern agriculture is based on three key assumptions: cheap energy, free water and consistent weather. All of that is starting to run out. The future of food depends on a major overhaul, which must address many fundamental threats affecting all parts of the supply chain. From the world’s largest food corporations to the industry’s most innovative start-ups, these pioneers will share how change is being put to the test. Discussing with me will be AB In Bev CEO Michael Doukeris, Air Protein Founder and CEO Lisa Dyson and fifth generation farmer from Alabama, Kyle Bridgeforth.

Get your tickets before they sell out.

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