2012 has been the warmest year on record in the United States and the driest since 1988. Nearly two-thirds of the country was in drought as of October.
The extreme weather has hit some of the nation’s most fertile farmland. As the world’s largest corn and soybean exporter, the impacts have been global. Prices for these crops have set new records on international markets, raising the cost of feeding livestock in particular.
In a VOA documentary, we take a look at how this historic drought has affected farmers in the U.S., and how new developments in agriculture - and some old ideas - could soften the impact of future droughts.