FAO and WMO warn extreme heat pushes global agriculture 'to the limit,' threatening one billion people

The escalation of extreme heat episodes is pushing agriculture “to the limit” worldwide and threatening the health and livelihoods of more than one billion people, according to a joint report published on Wednesday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The document, titled “Extreme Heat and Agriculture,” warns that the phenomenon causes the annual loss of 500 billion working hours in the sector.