Since the 1980s, Mexican farm jobs have had to deal with climate swings

Most rain feed farmers have to play the predictable rain game every year Agricultural jobs have to rely on the timing and amount of rain that comes from the sky. In Mexico, a large portion of the population, around 20 million, depend on farming for their daily bread

But here's a tough question? Does the weather really impact the number of jobs in farming or does it complicate things a bit?

The effect of climate change on agricultural employment has not been closely studied in Mexico. This lack of research makes it hard to create good plans to deal with drought and climate change. Recent studies break new ground by looking at the employment trends of farmers and livestock producers since 1980.

By carefully examining government data on rainfall and farming, researchers uncovered some interesting patterns. They found that as annual rainfall goes down, so does agricultural employment. It's a simple case of less rain and less jobs

The most interesting link was found in livestock farming. The study showed that when rainfall is low in the current year, the number of jobs dropped

Raising crops without irrigation present another interesting challenge. Employment levels in this sector have responded the year prior

One answer to this could be the amount of land needed to plant crops, as well as the overall income of the farming goods, all of which seem to be positively connected to rainfall

This struggle is likely why many have left their farming jobs, especially during the dry season. The impact has been so high, that people aged 23 to 35 years are more likely to leave in recent years, compared to 15 and 19-year-olds in the 1990s.

So, what's the takeaway from all of this data? The need for new national policies to support farmers and help them adapt to climate changes is more pressing than ever.

Mexico farming jobs facing weather hurdles

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