Comment on possible India rice export ban

“Falling yields and rising prices for such a staple as rice is devastating for people in India. Restricting supplies brings costs down and lowers food shortage risks at home.

“But two thirds of the rice we import - worth £229.2m last year - comes from climate vulnerable parts of the world; over half of that (£127m) from India. This is happening at 1.1°C of heating. As impacts worsen, so shortages will drive up the cost of staple foods we import from overseas, which we cannot simply grow here instead.

“Cutting emissions to net zero is the only route to halting climate change to limit warming and avoid even worse impacts. But even if we limit that to 1.5°C, climate finance and other forms of investment from wealthy countries are essential to help developing nations like India to recover from disaster and adapt to higher temperatures. That doesn’t just help those nations, it secures our food supplies.”