Climate: Food “should be put on the table”, argues an expert

Climate: Food “should be put on the table”, argues an expert

Climate: Food “should be put on the table”, argues an expert

The food question is critical in the fight against global warming, stresses AFP scientist Cynthia Rosenzweig, who has studied the interaction between climate change and what we eat for decades.

His research at NASA at the famed Goddard Space Center, which won him the World Food Prize this week, warned specifically against the effects of global warming on food.

Q: How does the food system drive climate change?

Answer: “Climate change cannot be curbed regardless of greenhouse gas emissions from food systems. Our work shows, among others, that these emissions account for about a third of total human emissions. Also, food security for all is dependent on the changing climate.

As we enter a critical decade for climate action, food should be on the table. ,

Question: What is the effect of global warming on food?

A: “High temperatures in general are bad for crops, because they accelerate their growth, so they have less time to produce grain. That makes yields very low. And then extreme events happen.” are occurring at critical times, for example during a heat wave during corn pollination.They are increasing in frequency and intensity in many agricultural areas.

And of course there is water, which is vital for food production. With more droughts and more heavy rainfall, warming in many agricultural regions is changing the water cycle, as warmer air can hold more water.(…)

In line with the latest climate scenarios, the crop modeling team at AgMIP (a crop simulation program initiated by Cynthia Rosenzweig, editor’s note) has found that the impacts on some agricultural sectors around the world are likely to be felt even more in the early 2030s. hopefully. It’s really soon.

Some of the key regions where these early impacts will be felt are in the central United States, West Africa, and East Asia. In West Africa, agricultural production can drop by 20 to 40% or more. ,

Question: What are the ways to turn things around?

A: “Increasing carbon storage could help fight global warming. We need to increase the efficiency of agricultural production and reduce food waste: that’s a rough figure, but about a third of the food produced is lost or wasted.” If we weren’t wasting so much food, we wouldn’t have to produce that much, and so we’d be reducing emissions from agricultural production.

In developed countries, there is also room for dietary choices that can make a difference, as emissions related to livestock, primarily from beef and milk, are significant.

But if we talk about consumption, we must understand that the solutions differ according to the context and take into account the questions of equity. Many people around the world have no choice when it comes to food.

(…) is undoubtedly a movement in favor of the transformation of the food system.

Food is the major climatic zone and links everyone on the planet to global warming. We have to change our food system to ensure food security for all and a healthier planet. ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *