When it comes to predicting famines, researchers and relief agencies would ideally like indicators that can signal potential food insecurity before the growing season even begins. Fortunately, this is now possible thanks to research out of UC Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center. A new paper published in PLOS ONE(link is external) reveals that the onset of the rainy season is an excellent predictor of agricultural drought, conditions that can lead to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. The center, a research partner of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network Team (FEWS NET) of the United States Agency for International Development (US AID), is already applying these insights to conditions in vulnerable areas, which seem to be headed for another tough year.