As the world prepares for COP31, taking place November 9 to 20, a super El Niño is already reshaping the global climate picture. El Niño disrupts rainfall patterns, intensifies droughts and floods, and strains agricultural production across multiple regions. These risks are arriving alongside other pressures on food systems, including geopolitical instability, disrupted shipping and trade routes, and volatile food and energy markets. Understanding how these forces interact is essential to anticipating where vulnerabilities may emerge and how impacts can be reduced.
Jeffrey Shaman, Senior Vice Dean of the Columbia Climate School, will open with a briefing on the latest El Niño outlook. Moderated by Michael Puma, Director of Columbia University’s Center for Climate Systems Research, the panel discussion will bring together perspectives on agricultural production, global markets, humanitarian response, and food security policy. Connecting directly to COP31 Action Agenda priorities, including the transformation of agriculture and food systems, water and drought, food loss and waste, and early warning systems that protect vulnerable communities, panelists will explore how forecasts can guide decisions, strengthen preparedness, and help governments and organizations act before disruptions become food crises.
