Puerto Rican Agriculture Isn't Only Threatened by Climate Change

There are political problems, as well.

Para español deslice la página.

On May 15, 2024, the secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of Agriculture said in a radio interview,  “I believe in climate change but not in the way it's been projected.” By saying this, he diminished the real impact of climate change on the future if the world does not make significant changes to tackle warming. 

Based on the annual report of the National Weather Service, 2023 was the third hottest year on record in Puerto Rico. The first and second places were hit in 1980 and 1983, respectively. The worst of the 2023 events were felt during the period between mid-August and November, when 67 excessive heat notices and 142 heat warnings were recorded, where municipalities such as Arecibo, Vega Baja, and others reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit.

A Centro de Periodismo Investigativo analysis revealed an increase of up to 5.6º F in the average temperature in just one decade, between June 2013 and June 2023 on the Archipielago. 

During that time, there was no rain and much of the harvest was lost. I remember going to my grandfather's house in Vega Baja and seeing how none of his plants bore fruit, including breadfruit, which is one of the plants that many mention as vital for climate change—but my grandfather's house proves that is not true. This heat not only affects the production of fruits and vegetables in an archipelago that still imports more than 80 percent of its food, but also affects the livestock and poultry sector, which reported that they are registering declines in milk and egg production.