Rome, Italy
September 10, 2007
Climate change is emerging as one
of the main challenges humankind will have to face for many
years to come. It could become a major threat to world food
security, as it has a strong impact on food production, access
and distribution.
Abnormal changes in air temperature and rainfall and the
increasing frequency and intensity of drought and floods have
long-term implications for the viability and productivity of
world agro-ecosystems.
This was the main message delivered today by Alexander Müller,
FAO Assistant Director General,
to over 140 world experts convened in Rome for a workshop on
“Adaptation Planning and Strategies."(*) While continuing to
deal with the causes of climate change -- by reducing emissions
and increasing greenhouse gas sinks -- it is crucial, Müller
said, to also take immediate action to cope with its effects.
Ways must be found to build up peoples’ resilience as well as
that of food production systems, he added.
Developing countries most at risk
Agriculture is the sector most affected by changes in climate
patterns and will be increasingly vulnerable in the future.
Especially at risk are developing countries, which are highly
dependent on agriculture and have fewer resources and options to
combat damage from climate change.
In the short term, as the global average temperature rises 1-3º
C, industrialized countries may well gain in food production
potential. However, in lower latitudes -- especially in
subsistence sectors, marginal, semi-arid and sub-humid regions,
where rain fed agriculture is the norm -- even with a minimal
rise in global temperature crop potential will most probably
decline.
Agriculture both culprit and victim
Agriculture is both culprit and victim when it comes to climate
change.
It is estimated that the livestock sector alone accounts for 18
percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, while deforestation
is responsible for 18 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.
According to FAO, introducing improved livestock management and
crop practices, coupled with adaptive management of forests,
could have a very significant impact. Adopting land use
practices such as conservation agriculture would also help to
maintain significant amounts of carbon in the soil.
Rice production is another major source of greenhouse gas
emissions. It is perhaps the main source of anthropogenic
methane, with some 50 to 100 million metric tons per year
emitted from the world's 130 million hectares of rice paddies.
At the same time adverse and extreme weather conditions can
jeopardise rice crop production, which feeds more than half the
world’s population. Of major benefit would be introducing
different and improved rice varieties with greater salinity
tolerance. These were successfully used by FAO to expedite the
recovery of production in areas damaged by the 2004 Asian
tsunami.
More hardy varieties, yielding over four tons per hectare, have
been developed and tested successfully in Bangladesh, a country
repeatedly affected by flooding.
The rapid transition toward greater use of biofuels could also
help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so long as food
security and environmental considerations are taken into
account.
The role of FAO
Climate change is a global phenomenon with local or regional
features which needs to be understood and anticipated.
“FAO is already actively assisting its Members, particularly
developing countries, to enhance their capacity to confront the
negative impacts of climate change on agriculture, forests and
fisheries”, said Müller. This means helping people to adapt
their agricultural systems to changed conditions and specific
stresses. It involves providing creative solutions and
alternative approaches, such as introducing crop varieties that
can tolerate heat and water stress.
Müller went on to say that forecasting extreme events and trends
by collecting data and developing tools to produce on-hand
information for adapting countries’ agriculture is another area
that needs greater attention.
(*) The workshop “Adaptation Planning and Strategies” is
organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, under the Nairobi work programme
on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. It
is part of a series of meetings to assess strategies to cope
with the effects of climate change. |
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