{
  "id": 19680096,
  "title": "Smallholder farmers struggle on El Niño frontline; will the world help?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/smallholder-farmers-struggle-on-el-nino-frontline-will-the-world-help",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-12T16:35:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/2026/11/smallholder-farmers-struggle-on-el-nino-frontline-will-the-world-help/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smallholder farmers worldwide are bracing for, or already experiencing, the effects of an unusually strong El Niño event. Forecasted to peak in December, its impacts will linger into 2027, according to the United Nations. This record-breaking El Niño could push an additional 49 million people into acute hunger, with southern Africa and Central America facing the brunt of the crisis. Key staple supplies, such as rice and corn, are expected to sharply decline, along with commodities like cocoa, coffee, and palm oil. Smallholder farmers cultivating the food we consume are on the frontlines of these consequences, experts assert.\n\nPalm oil producers in Indonesia have already reported losses due to a prolonged El Niño-linked drought. In Sudan, delayed rains have heightened the risk of widespread famine. Central America's Guatemalan farmers are witnessing sharp reductions in crops intended for home consumption. In response, governments in El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama have declared El Niño emergencies, as have Bolivia and Peru in South America. \"Fairtrade producers we’re in contact with are already experiencing the impacts,\" Amanda Archila, CEO of Fairtrade America, stated in a video interview for Mongabay. \"You’re already seeing clear signs of a dramatic increase in the number of food insecure smallholders.\"\n\nThe current El Niño is highlighting a critical weakness in global food systems. It exposes how vulnerable smallholder farmers are to such climatic anomalies, which could far more profoundly impact key cash crops in the months ahead.",
  "summary": "Smallholder farmers across the globe are bracing for, or already feeling, the effects of a historically strong El Niño. This event — forecast to peak in December with lasting impacts deep into 2027 — has brought warnings of shocks to global food prices and food security. The record-breaking 2026-2027 El Niño could drive an additional […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}