How Damaging Is Climate Change to Food Security

Food is a basic human necessity yet millions of people around the world go hungry every day.Food insecurity is a problem which afflicts many countries throughout the world. Achieving food security is highly critical to poverty alleviation.Health, education, ability to work productively (economic decline) and overall quality of life are affected by food insecurity.Climate change further exacerbates the threat of food insecurity.

Food security situation in which all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.This depends on the availability, access and biological utilization of food.(World Food Summit 1996)Climate change refers to any significant change in the weather or distribution of weather events over an extended period. This includes major changes in temperature, rainfall, wind patterns, precipitation. The impacts of climate change food security may be felt primarily through changes in crop yields, water availability, pests and diseases and animalhealth (terrestrial and aquatic)

The threat that climate changes pose to agricultural sector is alarming.The increased frequency and extent of floods, droughts and land erosion has rendered the agriculture sector more vulnerable and reduced the productivity of land and the potential for plant production. Although increases in temperature and carbon dioxide can be very beneficial to (some) crops, other impacts from global warming could counteract the effects reducing overall yield.

Excess soil moisture, in addition to direct flood damage, is a major component ofcrop losses due to extreme precipitation events. Heavy rainfall washes away vital nutrients in the soil.Many weeds, pests and fungi thrive under warmer temperatures, wetter climates, and increased CO2 levels. Farmers then have to spend thousands of dollars fighting these nuisances. Furthermore the increase use of pesticides...