ReliefWeb: Building Climate Resilience for Food Security

One out of every nine of the world’s people is going hungry, one out of every eight adults is obese, and the health of hundreds of millions is at risk. “Hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago,” reports the 2018 report on Food Security and Nutrition in the World. “This reversal in progress sends a clear warning that more must be done and urgently if the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger is to be achieved by 2030,” The Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization issued the 32-page report and blame climate change for disrupting the agriculture industry: “climate variability affecting rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, and climate extremes such as droughts and floods, are among the key drivers behind the rise in hunger, together with conflict and economic slowdowns.” Weather extremes reduce food availability and hike prices. South America and Africa are the worst hit regions while gains are slowing in Asia. The report urges interventions with attention to vulnerable populations including children. The report concludes, “The success of climate resilience policies, programmes and practices requires renewed efforts and new approaches that help people anticipate, absorb and adapt to climate variability and extremes.” – YaleGlobal