Agriculture - Food security

Title

Options for support to agriculture and food security under climate change

Reference

Environmental Science & Policy
Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 136–144

Author(s)

S.J. Vermeulen, P.K. Aggarwal, A. Ainslie, C. Angelone, B.M. Campbell, A.J. Challinor , J.W. Hansen, J.S.I. Ingram, A. Jarvis, P. Kristjanson, C. Lau, G.C. Nelson, P.K. Thornton, E. Wollenberg

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Agriculture and food security are key sectors for intervention under climate change. Agricultural production is highly vulnerable even to 2C (low-end) predictions for global mean temperatures in 2100, with major implications for rural poverty and for both rural and urban food security. Agriculture also presents untapped opportunities for mitigation, given the large land area under crops and rangeland, and the additional mitigation potential of aquaculture. This paper presents a summary of current knowledge on options to support farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, in achieving food security through agriculture under climate change. Actions towards adaptation fall into two broad overlapping areas: (1) accelerated adaptation to progressive climate change over decadal time scales, for example integrated packages of technology, agronomy and policy options for farmers and food systems, and (2) better management of agricultural risks associated with increasing climate variability and extreme events, for example improved climate information services and safety nets. Maximization of agriculture's mitigation potential will require investments in technological innovation and agricultural intensification linked to increased efficiency of inputs, and creation of incentives and monitoring systems that are inclusive of smallholder farmers. Food systems faced with climate change need urgent, broad-based action in spite of uncertainties.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Climate change and energy >> Climate change adaptation >> Agricultural adaptation

Keywords

Climate change; Food security; Agriculture; Livelihoods; Adaptation; Mitigation

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901111001456
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sjv@life.ku.dk

Title

Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving Human Health and Food Security

Reference

Science 13 January 2012:
Vol. 335 no. 6065 pp. 183-189
DOI: 10.1126/science.1210026

Author(s)

Drew Shindell , Johan C. I. Kuylenstierna, Elisabetta Vignati, et al

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Tropospheric ozone and black carbon (BC) contribute to both degraded air quality and global warming. We considered ~400 emission control measures to reduce these pollutants by using current technology and experience. We identified 14 measures targeting methane and BC emissions that reduce projected global mean warming ~0.5°C by 2050. This strategy avoids 0.7 to 4.7 million annual premature deaths from outdoor air pollution and increases annual crop yields by 30 to 135 million metric tons due to ozone reductions in 2030 and beyond. Benefits of methane emissions reductions are valued at $700 to $5000 per metric ton, which is well above typical marginal abatement costs (less than $250). The selected controls target different sources and influence climate on shorter time scales than those of carbon dioxide–reduction measures. Implementing both substantially reduces the risks of crossing the 2°C threshold.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Air pollution >> Impact of emissions >> Health impacts
Air pollution >> Managing emissions >> Reduction measures
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Air pollution and climate change

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6065/183.abstract?sid=f40702ab-13ca-4dc4-8b1a-c1b0414daebe

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drew.t.shindell@nasa.gov

Title

Solutions for a cultivated planet

Reference

Nature, 2011;
DOI: 10.1038/nature10452

Author(s)

Jonathan A. Foley, Navin Ramankutty, Kate A. Brauman, Emily S. Cassidy, James S. Gerber, Matt Johnston, Nathaniel D. Mueller, Christine O'Connell, Deepak K. Ray, Paul C. West, Christian Balzer, Elena M. Bennett, Stephen R. Carpenter, Jason Hill, Chad Monfreda, Stephen Polasky, Johan Rockström, John Sheehan, Stefan Siebert, David Tilman, David P. M. Zaks

Study type

Peer Review Journal 

Abstract

Increasing population and consumption are placing unprecedented demands on agriculture and natural resources. Today, approximately a billion people are chronically malnourished while our agricultural systems are concurrently degrading land, water, biodiversity and climate on a global scale. To meet the world's future food security and sustainability needs, food production must grow substantially while, at the same time, agriculture's environmental footprint must shrink dramatically. Here we analyse solutions to this dilemma, showing that tremendous progress could be made by halting agricultural expansion, closing 'yield gaps' on underperforming lands, increasing cropping efficiency, shifting diets and reducing waste. Together, these strategies could double food production while greatly reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Sustainable consumption and production >> Sustainable production >> Sustainable business and industry

Keywords

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v478/n7369/full/nature10452.html
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jfoley.umn.edu

Title

Using Small-Scale Adaptation Actions to Address the Food Crisis in the Horn of Africa: Going beyond Food Aid and Cash Transfers

Reference

Sustainability2011, 3, 1510-1516;
doi:10.3390/su3091510

Author(s)

Richard Munang  and Johnson N. Nkem

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The countries Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti are facing the worst food crisis of the 21st century as a result of devastating droughts. The crisis is causing starvation and leading to a lack of access to clean water and sanitation for over 12 million people. Not only are the direct drought effects endured now by the population, but they have weakened response capacity and created diminished prospects of ever achieving future water and food security. Over the coming decades, temperatures in this region will continue to rise and rainfall patterns will change. This will create major problems for food production and availability. Thus, building resilience in communities is indispensable as we adapt our farming systems to the challenges of climate change. This will require practical solutions that can build on processes involving adaptation to climate change. The lessons learned from the UN-led project in Uganda, demonstrate the value of small scale innovative interventions, carried out using democratic approaches to help support adaptation to climate change whilst progressing to achieve food security and chart a new Path to eliminate hunger. These lessons should be our guiding vision as we address the current droughts plaguing the Horn of East Africa and elsewhere.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Climate change and energy >> Climate change adaptation >> Agricultural adaptation        
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable development in developing countries

Keywords

climate change adaptation; small scale solutions; food security

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/9/1510/
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richard.munang@unep.org

Title

Global growth and stability of agricultural yield decrease with pollinator dependence

Reference

PNAS April 5, 2011 vol. 108 no. 14 5909-5914

Author(s)

Lucas A. Garibaldi , Marcelo A. Aizen, Alexandra M. Klein, Saul A. Cunningham, and Lawrence D. Harder

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Human welfare depends on the amount and stability of agricultural production, as determined by crop yield and cultivated area. Yield increases asymptotically with the resources provided by farmers’ inputs and environmentally sensitive ecosystem services. Declining yield growth with increased inputs prompts conversion of more land to cultivation, but at the risk of eroding ecosystem services. To explore the interdependence of agricultural production and its stability on ecosystem services, we present and test a general graphical model, based on Jensen's inequality, of yield–resource relations and consider implications for land conversion. For the case of animal pollination as a resource influencing crop yield, this model predicts that incomplete and variable pollen delivery reduces yield mean and stability (inverse of variability) more for crops with greater dependence on pollinators. Data collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations during 1961-2008 support these predictions. Specifically, crops with greater pollinator dependence had lower mean and stability in relative yield and yield growth, despite global yield increases for most crops. Lower yield growth was compensated by increased land cultivation to enhance production of pollinator-dependent crops. Area stability also decreased with pollinator dependence, as it correlated positively with yield stability among crops. These results reveal that pollen limitation hinders yield growth of pollinator-dependent crops, decreasing temporal stability of global agricultural production, while promoting compensatory land conversion to agriculture. Although we examined crop pollination, our model applies to other ecosystem services for which the benefits to human welfare decelerate as the maximum is approached.

Policy theme(s)

Biodiversity >> Ecosystem services
Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Crop management
Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security

Keywords

Dimishing returns, environmental degradation, global pollination crisis, food security, land use change

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy Thematic Issue

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N/A

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garibald@agro.uba.ar

Title

Food security and biodiversity: can we have both? An agroecological analysis

Reference

Agriculture and Human Values
Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009
10.1007/s10460-009-9251-4

Author(s)

Michael Jahi Chappell and Liliana A. LaValle

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

We present an extensive literature review exploring the relationships between food insecurity and rapid biodiversity loss, and the competing methods proposed to address each of these serious problems. Given a large and growing human population, the persistence of widespread malnutrition, and the direct and significant threats the expanding agricultural system poses to biodiversity, the goals of providing universal food security and protecting biodiversity seem incompatible. Examining the literature shows that the current agricultural system already provides sufficient food on a worldwide basis, but in doing so methodically undermines the capacity of agroecosystems to preserve biodiversity. However, the available evidence emphasizes the interdependence of biodiversity and agriculture, and the important role each plays in the maintenance of the other. Thus, our review supports the claim that the solutions to the problems of widespread food insecurity and biodiversity loss need not be mutually exclusive, and that it may be possible to address both using appropriate alternative agricultural practices.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Agri-environment schemes
Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Biodiversity >> Threats to biodiversity >> Human impacts

Keywords

Agroecology, Alternative agriculture, Biodiversity,  Conservation , Food security,
Organic agriculture, Political ecology

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy Thematic Issue

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N/A

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/k082605n4r641231/fulltext.pdf

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mjc365@cornell.edu

Title

Agricultural success from Africa: the case of fertilizer tree systems in southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe)

Reference

Source: International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, Sustainable intensification: increasing productivity in African food and agricultural systems , pp. 129-136(8)

Author(s)

Authors: Ajayi, Oluyede Clifford; Place, Frank; Akinnifesi, Festus Kehinde; Sileshi, Gudeta Weldsesemayat

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

In response to the declining soil fertility in southern Africa and the negative effects that this leads to, such as food insecurity besides other developmental challenges, fertilizer tree systems (FTS) were developed as technological innovation to help smallholder farmers to build soil organic matter and fertility in a sustainable manner. In this paper, we trace the historical background and highlight the developmental phases and outcomes of the technology. The synthesis shows that FTS are inexpensive technologies that significantly raise crop yields, reduce food insecurity and enhance environmental services and resilience of agro-ecologies. Many of the achievements recorded with FTS can be traced to some key factors: the availability of a suite of technological options that are appropriate in a range of different household and ecological circumstances, partnership between multiple institutions and disciplines in the development of the technology, active encouragement of farmer innovations in the adaptation process and proactive engagement of several consortia of partner institutions to scale up the technology in farming communities. It is recommended that smallholder farmers would benefit if rural development planners emphasize the merits of different fertility replenishment approaches and taking advantage of the synergy between FTS and mineral fertilizers rather than focusing on `organic vs. inorganic' debates.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Soil management
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable development in developing countries

Keywords

agricultural innovation; agroforestry; development partnership; research for development; soil fertility; southern Africa

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://earthscan.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ijas/2011
/00000009/00000001/art00015
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o.c.ajayi@cgiar.org

Title

Looking into the future of agriculture in a changing climate

Reference

European Review of Agricultural Economics pp. 1-21
doi:10.1093/erae/jbr037

Author(s)

Ana Iglesias, Sonia Quiroga and Agustin Diz

Study type

Peer Review Journal / Report

Abstract

Looking into the future of agriculture raises three challenging questions: How can agriculture deal with an uncertain future? How do local vulnerabilities and global disparities respond to this uncertain future? How should we prioritise adaptation to overcome the resulting future risks? This paper analyses the broad question of how climate change science may provide some insights into these issues. The data provided for the analysis are the product of our new research on global impacts of climate change in agriculture. The questions are analysed across world regions to provide some thoughts on policy development.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Climate change and energy >> Climate change adaptation >> Agricultural adaptation
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable development in developing countries

Keywords

climate change, climate extremes, uncertainty, land productivity,
adaptive capacity

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://erae.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/3/427.abstract
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ana.iglesias@upm.es

Title

Agricultural investment and international land deals: evidence from a multi-country study in Africa

Reference

International Institute for Environment and Development

Author(s)

Lorenzo Cotula, Sonja Vermeulen, Paul Mathieu and Camilla Toulmin

Study type

Report

Abstract

Recent spikes in world food and energy prices have fostered renewed momentum for agricultural investment in lower and middle-income countries. Governments in some food-importing countries are promoting the acquisition of land overseas as a means to ensure long-term national food security. Businesses are recognizing new opportunities for strong returns from international investments in agriculture for food, fuel and other agricultural commodities. Dubbed 'land grabs' in the media, land-based investments have kindled much international debate, in which strong positions are taken on the impacts of such investments on environment, rights, sovereignty, livelihoods, development and conflict at local, national and international levels. Depending on how they are structured, agricultural investments may deliver local benefits and include small-scale producers in value chains, or carry environmental and social risks that fall disproportionately on local people. Vigorous public debate in recipient countries, effective screening of proposed investments, including robust environmental and social impact assessments, secure local land and resource rights, local voice in decision-making, skillfully negotiated and regulated contracts and effective policy incentives for business models that favor working with local farmers over large plantations can help make the renewed momentum in agricultural investment work for development.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable development in developing countries

Keywords

N/A

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Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/12561IIED.pdf
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info@iied.org

Title

Expanding the boundaries of agricultural development

Reference

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food

Author(s)

Rosamond Naylor

Study type

Peer review journal

Abstract

The challenges of reducing global hunger and poverty are different today than they were 30 years ago. Current challenges include price volatility associated with increased integration of food, energy, and finance markets; the steady progression of climate change; poorly defined land institutions; and a failure to break vicious cycles of malnutrition and infectious disease. Farmland speculation is occurring globally - often at odds with rural poverty alleviation - and food insecurity remains a pressing issue with the estimated number of chronically malnourished people hovering around one billion. Given these patterns, food and agriculture are becoming increasingly ingrained in international security and policy discussions. This paper explores several ways in which the traditional field of agricultural development needs to expand to address the broader issues of international security and human welfare. It focuses on five key interrelated issues: the macroeconomic and energy contexts of agricultural development; climate change; deforestation, land access, and land markets; farming systems and technology for the ultra-poor; and food-health linkages with a specific focus on infectious disease. Recommendations for investments in capacity building, revised curricula, and development projects are made on the basis of evidence presented for each issue. It is clear that academic programs, government agencies, development and aid organizations, and foundations need to dismantle the walls between disciplinary and programmatic fields, and to find new, innovative ways to reach real-world solutions.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable rural development

Keywords

Price volatility, Climate change, Land grabs, Farming systems, Infectious diseases, Capacity building

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/j03423183485q328/
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roz@stanford.edu

Title

The role of regulatory mechanisms for control of plant diseases and food security-case studies from potato production in Britain

Reference

Food Security
Volume 2, Number 3, 233-245, DOI: 10.1007/s12571-010-0073-4

Author(s)

Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz, Alan MacLeod, Peter Reed, Peter R. Mills

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Being aware of the potentially devastating impacts of plant diseases on food security, governments have designed and employ plant health legislation to prevent or inhibit the worst impacts. The development of such policies in Britain, and latterly in Europe, can be closely linked to disease events that have occurred in the potato sector. We analyse early and current examples of policies governing potato diseases in Britain to identify the decision processes leading to the implementation of such phytosanitary policies and how they have evolved over time and in response to different disease threats. Reasons for developing and implementing phytosanitary policies include the desire to prevent pathogens being introduced (entering and establishing in a new area), the protection of export markets, and the lack of effective control measures. Circumstances in which regulatory policies would not be appropriate could include situations where a disease is already widely distributed, unacceptable costs, lack of exclusion measures, or difficulties of disease diagnosis. We conclude that in general, government policies have worked well in protecting British potato growing over the last one hundred years, despite of the failures of some of the policies discussed here. They have also contributed much to the development of plant health policies for other crops. Voluntary grower initiatives are a new mechanism complementing existing formal policies with an additional level of security that allows individual growers to take on additional responsibility rather than relying entirely on government legislation.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture>> Agricultural management>> Crop protection
Agriculture>> Agricultural management>> Food security

Keywords

Quarantine; Potato disease; Plant health; Policy development; Regulation

Entry Source:

N/A

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/xl6925972524r022/
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K.Dehnen-Schmutz@warwick.ac.uk

Title

Agricultural Biodiversity Is Essential for a Sustainable Improvement in Food and Nutrition Security

Reference

Sustainability 2011, 3(1), 238-253
doi:10.3390/su3010238

Author(s)

Emile A. Frison, Jeremy Cherfas and Toby Hodgkin

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Agricultural biodiversity has hitherto been valued almost exclusively as a source of traits that can be used in scientific breeding programs to improve the productivity of crop varieties and livestock breeds. We argue that it can make a far greater contribution to increased productivity. In particular, a wider deployment of agricultural biodiversity is an essential component in the sustainable delivery of a more secure food supply. Diversity of kingdoms, species and genepools can increase the productivity of farming systems in a range of growing conditions, and more diverse farming systems are also generally more resilient in the face of perturbations, thus enhancing food security. Diversity can maintain and increase soil fertility and mitigate the impact of pests and diseases. Diversity of diet, founded on diverse farming systems, delivers better nutrition and greater health, with additional benefits for human productivity and livelihoods. Agricultural biodiversity will also be absolutely essential to cope with the predicted impacts of climate change, not simply as a source of traits but as the underpinnings of more resilient farm ecosystems. Many of the benefits of agricultural biodiversity are manifested at different ecological and human scales, and cut across political divisions, requiring a cross-sectoral approach to reassess the role of agricultural biodiversity in sustainable and secure food production.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security

Keywords

agricultural biodiversity, food security, sustainability, nutrition, hunger

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/1/238/
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e.frison@cgiar.org

Title

Minimising the harm to biodiversity of producing more food globally
The challenge of global food sustainability

Reference

Food Policy
Volume 36, Supplement 1, January 2011, Pages S62-S71

Author(s)

Ben Phalan, Andrew Balmford, Rhys E. Green and Jörn P.W.Scharlemann

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Should farming and conservation policies aim broadly to separate land for nature and land for production (land sparing) or integrate production and conservation on the same land (wildlife-friendly farming)? Most studies that try to address this question suffer from flaws in sampling design, inappropriate metrics, and/or failure to measure biodiversity baselines. We discuss how these failings can be addressed, and what existing information tells us about the key debates on this topic. The evidence available suggests that trade-offs between biodiversity and yield are prevalent. While there are some wildlife-friendly farming systems that support high species richness, a large proportion of wild species cannot survive in even the most benign farming systems. To conserve those species, protection of wild lands will remain essential. Sustainable intensification could help to facilitate sparing of such lands, provided that as much attention is given to protecting habitats as to raising yields. We discuss the general circumstances under which yield increases can facilitate land sparing, recognising that policies and social safeguards will need to be context-specific. In some situations, bringing degraded lands into production could help reduce pressure on wild lands, but much more information is needed on the biodiversity implications of using degraded lands. We conclude that restricting human requirements for land globally will be important in limiting the impacts on biodiversity of increasing food production. To achieve this, society will need to integrate explicit conservation objectives into local, regional and international policies affecting the food system.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Agri-environment schemes
Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Organic farming

Keywords

Biodiversity conservation, Agriculture, Land sparing, Wildlife-friendly farming,
Organic farming, Land-use policy

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919210001223
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btp22@cam.ac.uk

Title

Ecosystem Services and Food Security: Economic Perspectives on Environmental Sustainability

Reference

Sustainability 2010, 2(11), 3520-3548
doi:10.3390/su2113520

Author(s)

Robert B. Richardson

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Abstract: Food security in developing countries depends in part on the sustainable use of natural resources. Food security is usually examined through three dimensions, namely the availability, access, and utilization of food. Ecosystems directly and indirectly support each of these dimensions through the provision of critical ecosystem services that facilitate agricultural production, create income-generating opportunities, and provide energy for cooking. However, in some cases, household uses of natural resources undermine particular elements of food security, hindering national poverty reduction strategies and threatening the sustainability of critical ecosystem functions. I examine the role of ecosystem services in rural food security through the lens of its three dimensions, and highlight the tensions that stem from household-level interactions and uses. In some cases, uses of resources and services that support the access and utilization dimensions may undermine the ecosystem functions that support food availability. The conclusions underscore the importance for the integration of ecosystem services into food security plans and poverty reduction strategies in developing countries.

Policy theme(s)

Agriculture >> Agricultural management >> Food security
Biodiversity >> Ecosystem services
Environmental economics >> Ecosystem services
Sustainable development and policy analysis >> Sustainable economic development >> Sustainable development in developing countries

Keywords

food security, ecosystem services, environmental sustainability, international
development

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

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http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/11/3520/pdf
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rbr@msu.edu