Agriculture ministers

A UK climate minister has warned that the global food system is vulnerable to El Niño, the periodic warming of Pacific Ocean waters that disrupts weather patterns and can hit crop harvests. The warning highlights concerns that extreme weather linked to El Niño could drive up food prices and threaten supply security at a time of already strained agricultural conditions.

Agriculture ministers have begun laying the groundwork for a deal on the EU farming budget, with an agreement targeted for October, according to Euractiv. Negotiations over the future Common Agricultural Policy budget are a source of tension between farm-dependent member states demanding sustained support and budget-frugal governments pushing for cuts, making the timing of any breakthrough politically sensitive.