2010
Russian Heat Wave
¥Fallout
¥In 2009, the Black Sea region contributed
roughly ¼ of world wheat exports, but Russia has banned
grain exports entirely through mid-2011
¥Heat and drought decimated grass and
hay growth, prompting the government to release 3
million tons of grain to supplement cattle feed; still, farmers
have had to cull herds
¥World wheat prices increase 60% over 2
months
¥Situation
¥Average Moscow July temperature:
14¡F above norm
¥Number of fires starting every day in
early August: 300-400
¥Forest damage and restoration cost
estimate: $300 billion
¥Total death count from heat wave and
air pollution: >56,000
¥Drop in the Russian grain harvest:
down 40% to 60 million tons from recent annual harvests of
100 million tons
¥
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / Brasil2
The Russian heat wave is a powerful example of how a
single event can quickly destabilize the global food
economy.