Table Talk

How much impact will the drought of 2022 have on the food system in the UK, Europe, and around the world? The summer of 2022 will be remembered for a lack of rain, wildfires, and extreme temperatures. For the first time since records began, Britain endured temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. Records were broken across Europe too, with a high of 47 degrees recorded in Portugal. Rivers dried up and wildfires broke out in 19 European countries, including England, France, Spain, and Greece. The high temperatures were compounded by a lack of rain. For the UK, 2022 is the driest in nearly 50 years. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we ask: how is the extreme weather affecting food production? With climate change promising more summers like this, what does it mean for the future of the global food system? And what might the long-term impacts be of some the challenges we are beginning to face today? Professor Tim G. Benton, Research Director, Environment and Society Programme, Chatham House