What is climate change?

Climate change is characterised by significant and long-term changes in temperatures, wind patterns and typical weather patterns in a particular place or the planet as a whole. It also makes weather patterns less predictable. For example, a region might experience lower or higher than average temperatures or more frequent and severe weather events, such as storms, floods or droughts.

The main cause of climate change is too many greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from burning fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — which release carbon dioxide (CO2). Deforestation and some agricultural activities also contribute to CO2 emissions. GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere surrounding Earth. Soil and plants absorb CO2, but the use of some types of chemical fertilisers and very large herds of cattle can contribute to GHG emissions.

Climate change, agriculture and the challenges ahead

Watch the video Climate, Agriculture and the Challenges Ahead by Planet Forward. It talks about the effect of climate change on food. It uses the examples of corn, soya bean and cotton, but the impact is universal.

Activity

Can you identify any increase in any insect pests in your community?

Discuss this issue with other participants or your neighbours, if possible.

Climate change and severe weather

Climate change is making extreme weather events — for example, hurricanes, floods and droughts — more frequent and severe. In addition, Earth’s temperature has been rising over the years, particularly over recent years. Glaciers and ice sheets are melting, rising sea levels are inundating coastal communities and displacing millions of people, and flooding is occurring in some places, including Australia and Southeast Asia. Heavy storms can destroy birds’ nests and drown animals.

In Africa, climate change is contributing to more frequent and more severe droughts. These droughts are causing crop failures, which in turn are causing widespread hunger. In Asia, climate change is causing sea levels to rise and flooding to become more common. The floods are affecting coastal farmland and displacing farmers.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, climate change is changing rainfall patterns and contributing to widespread damage and loss of life.

Climate change and depletion of natural resources

Natural resources are described as depleted when they are being used up faster that they can be replenished. Population growth and economic development both contribute to the depletion of natural resources, but climate change also contributes to it in several ways.

Soil degradation

Soil degradation is the process by which soil loses its quality and fertility. Heavy rainfall and floods saturate soil, which results in surface runoff and erosion. Soil degradation can reduce crop yields; increase the likelihood of flooding and landslides; and reduce water quality (because degraded soil is less able to filter pollutants out of water). Drought also degrades soil. When soil is dry, the wind can blow it away more easily.

Water scarcity

Climate change negatively affects water supplies. This can lead to increased competition for water and even conflict, which in turn can prevent food supplies from reaching some regions. When sea water gets into farmlands, the salt damages the soil and reduces its productivity. Rising sea levels are leading to a scarcity of quality water for agriculture.

Water scarcity also damages ecosystems. Insufficient water to support plant and animal life can lead to desertification and loss of biodiversity.

Some insects that carry diseases can expand their habitat when there are extreme weather events. For example, changing temperatures and rainfall patterns across Africa could increase the spread of yellow fever, which is already responsible for 78,000 deaths each year in the region. (See Dunning, 2020, for more information.)

Climate change and food insecurity

Climate change affects food production, the food supply chain, livelihoods and people’s ability to afford and access food. Food insecurity occurs when people have no reliable access to sufficient, nutritious food. People in this situation experience hunger and may even go for days without eating, thereby putting their health and well-being at grave risk.

Food insecurity negatively impacts a person’s ability to survive or recover in the event of a shock or hazard.

In 2020, nearly 800 million people were undernourished. The number of people facing severe food insecurity increased from 132 million in 2019 to 161 million in 2020. (See FAO et al., 2022, for more information.)

Here are some examples of how climate change has caused food insecurity around the world in recent years.

The Horn of Africa has experienced severe droughts that have been linked to climate change. The droughts destroyed crops and livestock and contributed to widespread food insecurity. (See World Health Organization, 2024, for more information.) Other places in East Africa have been experiencing unusually dry weather and high temperatures in recent years. A lack of water in soil can reduce the activities of the micro-organisms it contains or increase the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in it. Wind easily blows away dry soil.

In 2022, a severe drought in the Horn of Africa caused widespread crop failures and killed millions of livestock. This led to severe food insecurity. Across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, “malnutrition rates are rising: more than 7.1 million children are acutely malnourished” (OCHA, 2022, paragraph 2). The resulting food shortages led to an increase in prices at a time when food prices were already increasing significantly internationally.

Bangladesh is one of the most flood-prone countries in the world, and it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of rising sea levels. As sea levels rise, more and more land is becoming inundated with saltwater, which makes it difficult to grow crops and raise livestock. People are being displaced from their homes, which increases their vulnerability to food insecurity. In 2021, the country experienced severe flooding. It affected over 7 million people and destroyed crops and livestock on over 1 million acres of land. In 2022, severe flooding affected over 3 million people and damaged crops and livestock.

Also in 2022, Pakistan experienced severe flooding that affected over 33 million people and destroyed crops and livestock on over 4 million acres of land. In both Pakistan and Bangladesh, the flooding damaged roads and bridges, which made it difficult to transport food and other essential supplies to the affected communities.

In 2020, a heat wave in India and Pakistan destroyed crops and led to widespread food shortages. In 2021, flooding in Central China destroyed crops and livestock, and caused billions of dollars in damage. In the Caribbean, climate change is causing more frequent and severe hurricanes. These damage crops and livestock and make it difficult for people to get to food markets. In the Pacific islands, climate change is causing sea levels to rise and inundate coastal areas, making it difficult to grow crops. In the Philippines, typhoons can damage crops and livestock, displace people, and disrupt food supply chains.

In the United States of America, 10.2 per cent of households were food-insecure at some point in 2021. This figure increased to 12.8 per cent in 2022. This means that over 33 million people did not have enough to eat. In 2021, 12.5 per cent of children under the age of 18 were food-insecure. (See United States Department of Agriculture, 2023, for more information.)

In the 2023 Global Hunger Index Report, which reports on food insecurity around the world, Pakistan was ranked 92nd; Bangladesh, 80th; Tanzania, 100th; Malawi, 101st; and Mozambique, 111th. (See Concern Worldwide & Welthungerhilfe, 2023, for more information.)

The World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, provides food assistance to people in need around the world. In 2022, it assisted 160 million people in 120 countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malawi and Mozambique. (See World Food Programme, 2024a, for more information.) In 2023, it estimated that around 345 million people were experiencing acute hunger. This is the highest number of people facing acute hunger in over a decade. (See World Food Programme, 2024b, for more information.)

In 2021, extreme weather events were the main cause of acute hunger in eight African countries. Approximately 23.5 million people experienced emergency levels of hunger. (See World Food Programme, 2023, for more information.)

Recently, Ethiopia has experienced more frequent and severe droughts. It has been estimated that climate change could increase the cost of food by up to 60 per cent by 2050. This would have a significant impact on low-income households. (See Climate Resilient Food System Alliance, 2022, for more information.)

Reading

Climate Resilient Food System Alliance. (2022). Ethiopia: A case study. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/crfs_casestudy_ethiopia.pdf
Licence: Open access (https://www.worldbank.org/en/access-to-information)

Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. (2023). 2023 Global Hunger Index: The power of youth in shaping food systems. https://www.globalhungerindex.org/
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Dunning, H. (2020, 28 July.) More deaths from yellow fever expected in Africa because of climate change. Imperial News, Imperial College London. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/200355/more-deaths-from-yellow-fever-expected/
Licence: Open access

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations World Food Programme, & World Health Organization. (2022). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2022: Repurposing food and agricultural policies to make healthy diets more affordable. https://www.fao.org/3/cc0639en/cc0639en.pdf
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

United States Department of Agriculture (2023, 29 November). Economic Research Service: Food security and nutrition assistance. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance/
Licence: Public domain (https://www.usda.gov/policies-and-links)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (2022, 10 June). Horn of Africa drought: Humanitarian update 10 June 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/horn-africa-drought-humanitarian-update-10-june-2022
Licence: Open access (https://reliefweb.int/terms-conditions)

World Food Programme. (2024a, 29 January). WFP at a glance. https://www.wfp.org/stories/wfp-glance
Licence: Open access (https://cdn.wfp.org/legal/terms/)

World Food Programme. (2024b). Emergency: Global food crisis. https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/global-food-crisis
Licence: Open access (https://cdn.wfp.org/legal/terms/)

World Food Programme. (2023, 3 May). Global report on food crises: Number of people facing acute food insecurity rose to 258 million in 58 countries in 2022. https://www.wfp.org/news/global-report-food-crises-number-people-facing-acute-food-insecurity-rose-258-million-58
Licence: Open access

World Health Organization (2024, 4 March). Drought and food insecurity in the Greater Horn of Africa. https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/drought-food-insecurity-greater-horn-of-africa
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO