The Perfect Storm: Food Security and Nutrition under Climate Change

• Activity Number: 46
• Type: Other
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 1, 2010 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: ASA
• Author(s): Gerald Nelson*+
• Companies: International Food Policy Research Institute

Abstract

To better understand how climate change will affect crop production, food prices and malnutrition in developing countries, our team of researchers form the International Food Policy Research Institute examined the relationship between climate change, food security and agriculture, providing projections to the year 2050. The conclusions are dire, and indicate a reversal of much of the progress made to date against poverty and hunger. By 2050 climate change could cause an additional 25 million children to be malnourished, yields for all major crops to be reduced, and food prices to rise, in some cases to more than double. Calories available per person in Sub-Saharan Africa may decline by 21%.The inextricable link between climate change and agriculture is thus both clear and devastating.