Abstract
Agriculture is one of the prominent activities to contribute to greenhouse gases. Its contribution is about a third of the total emissions. It was in 2017 when agriculture was discussed in climate talks. It is an emerging concern that the changing climate will affect world’s developing countries more compared to rich ones as they rely more on agriculture for livelihood. Such countries are more located in the belts, which are more susceptible to droughts, floods, heatwaves, etc., eventually impacting harvests. On the other hand, the change in consumption patterns all over the world calls for more energy-intensive production that again could cause adverse environmental impacts, if not addressed appropriately. That said, the climate and food systems affect each other, which merits a deeper analysis and suitable strategies to make sure that its implications on food and nutritional security are not detrimental. The changing climate is indeed deeply impacting the quantity and quality of food. Many regions across the globe may face acute food shortages due to fluctuations in yields. Also, the population does not seem to be static. Addressing food and nutrition security of the ever-increasing population amid a changing climate is a growing concern. There are more stomachs to feed with shrinking resources in hand. A nation is said to be secure foodwise when the citizens enjoy the access to quality food in a sufficient amount that satisfies hunger and help to maintain a healthy living. The FAO measures food security via four parameters, viz. supply of food, accessibility of food, diversity of nutrients in the available food, and stability through time. Addressing the grave concerns, this chapter discusses in detail the effect of changing climatic conditions on food systems and vice versa. The chapter also focuses on the impact on food security and the challenges that lie ahead. It also suggests various actions to be taken by individuals, by nations and by the world as a whole to overcome these challenges.
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Singh, R., Khanna, V. (2021). Climate Change and Food Systems: Implications on Food Security. In: Hebsale Mallappa, V.K., Shirur, M. (eds) Climate Change and Resilient Food Systems. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4538-6_3
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