Nearly one-fourth of the damage from natural disasters in the developing world is inflicted on agriculture, says a study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. “These damages and losses are often incurred by poor rural and semi-rural communities without insurance and lacking the financial resources needed to regain lost livelihoods,” said FAO, adding that less than 5 percent of humanitarian aid is directed to the agricultural sector after disasters. FAO released the report as part of a UN conference on reducing the risk of disasters.
For the report, FAO analyzed post-disaster needs in 48 counties over a 10-year period ending in 2013. It estimated $70 billion in loss to crops and livestock during that period by comparing yields after a disaster with what they normally would be. Asia had estimated losses of $28 billion for the period and Africa was second with $26 billion. “Agriculture and all that it encompasses is not only critical for our food supply, it also remains a main source of livelihoods across the planet,” said FAO chief Jose Graziano da Silva. FAO estimates that worldwide, 2.5 billion people — small-scale farmers, herders, fishers and foresters — rely on agriculture to support themselves and their families.