
Souped-Up Crisis: How Climate Change Heats Up Kitchen Staples
Climate change is driving up food inflation in India by disrupting the production of key kitchen staples—tomato, onion, and potato (TOP crops). Extreme heatwaves and erratic rainfall over the past five years have slashed yields, damaged crops in fields and storage, and triggered sharp price spikes, with vegetable inflation reaching up to 42% in 2024. Small farmers are hit hardest due to limited storage and transport infrastructure. Experts recommend climate-resilient crop varieties, stronger supply chains, weather-based price forecasting, and social protections to safeguard both producers and consumers from climate-driven food crises.