Options for support to agriculture and food security under climate change

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 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envsci * Corresponding author at: University of Copenhagen, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, CGIAR-ESSP Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, Rolighedsvej 21, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Tel.: +45 24433733. E-mail address: [email protected] (S.J. Vermeulen). 1462-9011/$ – see front matter # 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2011.09.003 inclusive of smallholder farmers. Food systems faced with climate change need urgent, broad-based action in spite of uncertainties. # 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. e n v i r o n m e n t a l s c i e n c e & p o l i c y 1 5 ( 2 0 1 2 ) 1 3 6 – 1 4 4 137