Climate Change and Food Security
http://www.climate.org/2002/topics/agricul/index.shtml - Accessed 26 August
2008
1
Climate Change and Food Security
Prepared by Lauren Sacks and Cynthia Rosenzweig
Introduction
Over the past fifty years, human ingenuity has led to technological advances in agriculture that have dramatically increased crop yields. However, despite these improvements, agriculture is still highly dependent on climate since solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation are the main drivers of crop growth. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been changing the global climate by emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, potentially resulting in higher global temperatures, changed hydrological regimes, and increased climatic variability.
Climate change over the next century may have significant effects on food supply, i.e., how much food is produced, as well as food security, i.e. how much food is available to people. How much, where, and when food supply and security will be affected by climate change are questions many scientists and policy-makers are examining.
Global Warming and Food Security
It seems obvious that any significant change in climate on a global scale should impact local agriculture and thereby affect the world's food supply. Considerable study has gone into the questions of how farming might be affected in different regions, and by how much; and whether the net result may be harmful or beneficial, and to whom.
Some of the major organizations studying the effect of climate change on agriculture include: · Food and Agriculture Organization
· Columbia Center for International Earth Science Information Network
(CIESIN)
· The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) http://www.climate.org/2002/topics/agricul/index.shtml - Accessed 26 August
2008
2
Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production and
Supply
Overall, climate change, including global warming and increased climate variability, could result in a
2008
1
Climate Change and Food Security
Prepared by Lauren Sacks and Cynthia Rosenzweig
Introduction
Over the past fifty years, human ingenuity has led to technological advances in agriculture that have dramatically increased crop yields. However, despite these improvements, agriculture is still highly dependent on climate since solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation are the main drivers of crop growth. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been changing the global climate by emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, potentially resulting in higher global temperatures, changed hydrological regimes, and increased climatic variability.
Climate change over the next century may have significant effects on food supply, i.e., how much food is produced, as well as food security, i.e. how much food is available to people. How much, where, and when food supply and security will be affected by climate change are questions many scientists and policy-makers are examining.
Global Warming and Food Security
It seems obvious that any significant change in climate on a global scale should impact local agriculture and thereby affect the world's food supply. Considerable study has gone into the questions of how farming might be affected in different regions, and by how much; and whether the net result may be harmful or beneficial, and to whom.
Some of the major organizations studying the effect of climate change on agriculture include: · Food and Agriculture Organization
· Columbia Center for International Earth Science Information Network
(CIESIN)
· The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) http://www.climate.org/2002/topics/agricul/index.shtml - Accessed 26 August
2008
2
Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production and
Supply
Overall, climate change, including global warming and increased climate variability, could result in a