Colombian farmers face hunger as floods, mercury pollution, and conflict destroy food supplies

Colombian farmers face hunger as floods, mercury pollution, and conflict destroy food supplies

A year of flooding, poisoned waterways, and rising violence has deepened poverty and food insecurity for rural Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities in the Salaquí River basin.Natalia Torres Garzón reports for The Guardian.In short:Nearly 40,000 rural residents in Colombia’s Riosucio municipality are facing worsening food insecurity due to repeated floods, river sedimentation, and mercury contamination that have wiped out crops and decimated…

Brazilian farmers live in debt and fear a year after devastating floods

The collapsed roof of the barn, once the shelter for 500 pigs, is a constant reminder to Gustavo Lorenzon of the catastrophic floods that hit his farm, and much of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, in May 2024. A year later, he still cannot afford to fix it, even if it means a 30% reduction in his annual turnover. “Refurbishment would be expensive and we thought it prudent to wait. It’s not the time to take on another debt,” Lorenzon told…