A deluge that followed a drought in northern China soaked farm fields and destroyed crops this summer. Some vegetable prices skyrocketed to their highest levels in five years.
What's happening?
After several days of scorching temperatures that topped 95 degrees, northern China went from drought conditions to prompting the second-highest flood prevention response after torrential rains soaked the region. The weather whiplash flooded farmland full of cucumbers, cabbage, and eggplant.
Some vegetable prices escalated by up to 40%, marking their highest level in five years. A slowing economy was already challenging for China's people before the jump in prices. "It's so expensive — who can even afford to eat them," one buyer in Yan'an Shaanxi Province asked, according to the New York Times.
China endured over $10 billion in damage from natural disasters in July, with the majority of losses coming from heavy rain and floods, according to Reuters. The extreme weather damaged nearly 6 million acres of crops.
Leaders in China prioritize feeding the approximately 1.4 billion people who live there. According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the country has been increasingly relying on imported food. China's dependence on imports, coupled with an overheating planet, is now posing even more challenges to its people.
China has less than 10% of Earth's land suitable fit for or used for growing crops, but it produces one-fourth of the world's grain and feeds a fifth of the planet's people.
"Despite its domestic production, China has been a net importer [DOC] of agricultural products since 2004," per the CFR. "Today, it imports more of these products — including soybeans, corn, wheat, rice, and dairy products — than any other country. Between 2000 and 2020, the country's food self-sufficiency ratio decreased from 93.6% to 65.8%."
What's being done about the impact of extreme weather events on China?
China leads the world in the emission of heat-trapping gases that scientists say are fueling more frequent and intense extreme weather events. China pledged to reduce that pollution.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to peak their carbon dioxide pollution by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The country has made strides in its shift to renewable energy sources, like debuting the first-of-its-kind hydrogen-powered high-speed train and the world's largest wind turbines.
We can all make strides in our own homes to reduce carbon pollution. Unplugging "energy vampires," signing up for community solar, and installing a heat pump are all options that can help.
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