Florida is one of the country’s top producers of fruits and vegetables. … But climate change has already altered Florida’s annual patterns of temperature and precipitation.
Compared to a few decades ago, Florida today has milder winters and fewer freezes. Summers come hotter and earlier, and the air doesn’t cool off as much at night. Precipitation is less frequent, though when it does rain, it tends to rain more.
David Letson, a professor of environmental science and policy at the University of Miami, has studied [El Nino] effects on Florida agriculture for the past twenty-five years. According to Letson, systems that connect farms and supermarkets are so complex that it’s hard to trace the impact of specific weather events to food prices.
What’s more clear-cut is the financial impact climate change is having on the insurance carried by Florida farmers. Farmers, like homeowners, typically have property insurance. They may also insure the crops themselves.
Both property and crop insurance have increased in price as natural disasters become more frequent.
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Letson says it’s easy to see how increased insurance costs could lead to increased food prices ….
