Source 3: Hellenicshippingnews. (2020, March 18). E. Africa’s locusts outbreak, Zimbabwe’s drought may push neighbors to buy South African corn. Retrieved from https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/e-africas-locusts-outbreak-zimbabwes-drought-may-push-neighbors-to-buy-south-african-corn/

 

Summary: The outbreak of desert locusts in East African countries and severe drought in Zimbabwe have raised serious concerns about grain production in these countries, pushing them to consider importing corn from South Africa. Corn production in Kenya and Tanzania this year is estimated to be down 15% and 6% respectively from a year ago, and Zimbabwe is expected to experience a 54% drop. South Africa, on the other hand, is likely to produce 35.3% more corn than they did last year. There was exceptionally heavy rainfall during the 2019 rainy season, which created the perfect environment for the outbreak of desert locusts. 

 

Response: In contrast to Brazil and Argentina’s lack of rainfall, East African nations have been experiencing an abundance of precipitation. This comes with a whole new set of problems, however. The unifying factor in both situations is (big surprise) climate change. This article illustrates how far-reaching the effects of climate change are, and how they present themselves in more than just the expected ways. While it’s easy to see how climate change has impacted rainfall, it’s not immediately obvious to see how these changes can lead to others, such as the locust outbreak.