El Niño Risk for Ecuador’s Farms: Ecuador’s agriculture ministry warns 2026-2027 El Niño could hit coastal producers hard, with potential losses up to 2 million hectares in the worst case, especially low-lying areas where flooding can damage fields, roads, irrigation and aquaculture. Ecuador’s Banana Exports Hold Up: ACORBANEC reports Ecuadorian banana exports rose 7% year-on-year from January to May 2026, helped by higher availability and demand from the EU, Russia and South America after weather disruptions in competing countries. Galápagos Urban Resilience Research: A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate student received a Fulbright to study how “informal green spaces” in Puerto Ayora can support native habitats and reduce flooding and heat. UN Seminar Targets Environmental Crime Finance: Italy’s ambassador in Quito helped open a UNODC seminar on financial intelligence and investigation of environmental crimes, linking organized crime’s money flows to threats against institutions. Amazon/Andes Indigenous Maternal Health Award: Ecuadorian photojournalist Johanna Alarcón won the 2026 Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award for a project on Indigenous midwifery schools and hospitals. Marine Conservation Alarm: A report flags a large Chinese fishing fleet near South America’s Pacific, raising concerns about illegal fishing, pollution and harm to migratory species, with routes that may pass close to the Galápagos.