Climate change and food security: risks and responses

ACTING NOW ON CLIMATE CHANGE, TO ENSURE FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL, 
NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
Climate change brings a cascade of risks from physical impacts to ecosystems, agro-ecosystems, 
agricultural production, food chains, incomes and trade, with economic and social impacts on 
livelihoods and food security and nutrition.
The people who are projected to suffer the earlier and the worst impacts from climate change 
are the most vulnerable populations, with livelihoods depending on agriculture sectors in areas 
vulnerable to climate change. Understanding the cascade of risks, as well as the vulnerabilities 
to these risks, is essential to frame ways to adapt. Reducing vulnerabilities is key to reducing 
the net impacts on food security and nutrition and also to prevent long-term effects.
Increasing resilience of food security in the face of climate change calls for multiple 
interventions, from social protection to agricultural practices and risk management. 
The changes on the ground needed for adaptation to climate change in agriculture and food 
systems for food security and nutrition will need to be enabled by investments, policies and 
institutions in various areas. To be the most effective such interventions have to be part of 
integrated strategies and plans. Such strategies should be gender-sensitive, multi-scales, multi-
sectors and multi-stakeholders. They should be elaborated in a transparent way and consider 
the different dimensions (social, economic, environmental) of the issues and different time scales 
by which the changes will need to be implemented and supported. They should be based on 
assessments of risks and vulnerabilities, learn from experience and progresses, and be regularly 
monitored, assessed and updated. Middle- and high-income countries are increasingly carrying 
out regular assessments but countries without this capacity will need specific support. The 
National Adaptation Plan process set up under the UNFCCC provides the opportunity to 
integrate food security and nutrition as a key objective. Such national strategies and plans need 
also to be supported by enhanced regional and international cooperation.
Actions by different stakeholders are needed in the short term to enable responses in the short, 
medium and long term. Some medium- and long-term responses will need immediate enabling 
action and planning, and immediate implementation of investments, especially those investments 
that require longer time frames to be developed and arrive in the field: forestry, livestock 
breeding, seed multiplication, R&D, innovation and knowledge transfer to enable adaptation. 
For the world’s poor, adapting to climate change and ensuring food security go hand in hand.
A paradigm shift towards agriculture and food systems that are more resilient, more 
productive, and more sustainable is required.
The world needs to act now.
To eliminate hunger and malnutrition. 
To enable the agriculture sectors to adapt to climate change. 
To mitigate climate change in order to keep it at levels where it is still possible to ensure and 
safeguard everyone’s food security and nutrition. In that effort, agriculture has also a role to 
play, keeping in mind that food security is the priority.

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