Climate change and the need for agricultural adaptation

• Published in: Current opinion in plant biology Vol. 56; pp. 197 - 202
• Main Authors: Anderson, Robyn, Bayer, Philipp E, Edwards, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2020
• ISSN: 1369-5266; 1879-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.12.006

•Climate Change places food security at risk, particularly in the developing world.•Climates zones are predicted to shift poleward, altering the distribution of highly productive agricultural areas.•The worst yield declines are predicted for developing countries, further exacerbating the wealth gap between nations.•Crop improvement, land management and reductions in food waste and loss will assist in mitigating some of these issues.•International cooperation and changes at government, industry and public levels are required to ensure food security.
Agriculture and food security are predicted to be significantly impacted by climate change, though the impact will vary by region and by crop. Combined with the increasing global population, there is an urgent need for agriculture to adapt to ensure future food security for this growing population. Adaptation strategies include changing land and cropping practices, the development of improved crop varieties and changing food consumption and waste. Recent advances in genomics and agronomy can help alleviate some of the impacts of climate change on food production; however, given the timeframe for crop improvement, significant investment is required to realise these changes. Ultimately, there is a limit as to how far agriculture can adapt to the changing climate, and a political will to reduce the impact of burning of fossil fuels on the global climate is essential for long term food security.