food security-climate change road map

Researchers outline food security-climate change road map in Science


"Modest advances for agriculture in Durban signal need for scientific input


WASHINGTON -- While last month's climate negotiations in Durban made incremental progress toward helping farmers adapt to climate change and reduce agriculture's climate footprint, a group of international agriculture experts, writing in the January 20 issue of Science magazine, urges scientists to lay the groundwork for more decisive action on global food security in environmental negotiations in 2012.


'Agriculture worldwide is being impacted by climate change and in less than 15 years global population will rise by one billion people,' said Sir John Beddington, lead author of the article "What Next for Agriculture After Durban?" 'Policy makers and scientists need to work together, quickly, to chart a course toward a sustainable global food system.'


'Many agricultural practices show promise for lowering risks to food production and greenhouse gas emissions while protecting forests and other natural resources at the same time,' said Prof Tekalign Mamo of Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture, who spoke at several official events at the Durban gathering. 'But existing policies do not sufficiently encourage these sustainable approaches or prepare the global agriculture sector for climate change.'  --------------


However, integration of agriculture in the climate change negotiating process has moved at a slow pace while climate change and the other forces affecting food security, chiefly rapid population growth, are occurring much faster. -------------


Agreements in Durban did open the door to agriculture. Future negotiations will consider 'sectoral actions' on climate change, which could include those related to the agriculture sector. Also, a March 5 deadline has been set for submission of evidence to SBSTA which will 'exchange views on agriculture.' As a major driver of deforestation, agriculture is likely to be discussed as details of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) are negotiated. Beddington and his colleagues called these a 'welcome first step,' however they view it as far short of what is needed. They call on scientists to assume a more prominent role in supporting global and national political processes to ensure talks in 2012 are informed by clear data on how climate change imperils food security and what can be done to avoid catastrophe.  --------------


'The window of opportunity to avert a humanitarian, environmental and climate crisis is rapidly closing and we need better information and tools for managing tradeoffs in how we grow our food and use our resources,' said Prof Molly Jahn of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. --------------------


Overall, the authors believe scientists must help improve the overall 'understanding of agricultural practices that will deliver multiple benefits' in areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation, global food security, and REDD.  ---------- "


http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/bc-rof011712.php


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