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The agriculture sector is highly susceptible to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually diminish the yields of desirable crops while fostering the spread of weeds and pests. Changes in precipitation patterns raise the probability of both short- and long-term crop failures. Although there will be increases in some crops in some places, the overall effects of climate change on agriculture are predicted to be negative, posing a threat to the global food supply. Developing countries populations, who are already vulnerable and food poor, would likely be the most severely affected. In 2005, about half of the economically active population in developing nations, or 2.5 billion people, relied on agriculture as their primary source of income. 75% of the world’s impoverished currently reside in rural areas. This Food Policy Report includes research findings that quantify the aforementioned impacts of climate change, evaluates the repercussions on food security, and estimates the investments that would mitigate the negative effects on human welfare. This work combines, for the first time, detailed modelling of crop development under climate change with findings from a very complex global agriculture model, employing two climatic scenarios to forecast future climate.
Effects of global warming on agriculture
Agriculture is a major cause of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. However, climate change is having far-reaching effects on agricultural production, which will certainly pose a threat to future food security.
Currently, food accessibility is the major obstacle to food security. Global food production is sufficient to feed the existing global population, yet more than 10 percent remain malnourished.
Solutions to global warming
Millions of lives are already threatened by climate change, but there are remedies. From altering our energy sources to preventing deforestation, the following are some of the most effective remedies to climate change.
To implement these ideas, world leaders signed the Paris agreement in 2015, a major international agreement.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which must reach zero as quickly as feasible, is central to all climate change measures.
The primary means of combating climate change are to exert pressure on government and industry to:
1. Keep fossil fuels in the earth: Coal, oil, and gas are examples of fossil fuels, and the more they are extracted and used, the worse climate change will become. All nations must immediately transition their economies away from fossil fuels.
2. Invest in renewable energy sources: Changing our primary energy sources to clean and renewable energy is the most effective method to eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels. These include solar, wind, wave, tidal, and geothermal energy systems.
3. Change to sustainable transportation: Airplanes, diesel and gasoline-powered automobiles, and ships all utilise fossil fuels, therefore reducing car use, transitioning to electric cars, and minimising air travel will not only help stop climate change, but also cut air pollution.
4. Help us maintain our homes’ cosiness: It is a waste of money and miserable during the winter for homes to be draughty and frigid. The government can assist homeowners in heating their homes in an environmentally friendly manner, such as by insulating walls and roofs and moving from oil or gas boilers to heat pumps.
5. Improve agriculture and promote vegan diets: One of the most effective methods for individuals to combat climate change is to reduce their consumption of meat and dairy products or to become vegan. Businesses and food retailers may enhance farming techniques and increase the availability of plant-based goods to assist consumers in making the transition.
6. Restore nature to absorb more carbon: The natural environment is highly effective at removing our pollutants, but we must maintain it. Planting trees in the proper locations or returning land to nature through “rewilding” programmes is an excellent starting point. This is because photosynthesising plants sequester carbon dioxide in the soil as they grow.
7. Protect rainforests such as the Amazon: Forests are essential to combating climate change, and conserving them is an essential climate solution. Industrial-scale deforestation destroys enormous trees that could absorb vast quantities of carbon. However, corporations clear forests to make space for animal agriculture, soy, and palm oil plantations. Governments can prevent them by enacting stronger legislation.
8. Safeguard the waters: Additionally, oceans absorb vast quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to maintain a stable climate. However, many are threatened by overfishing, oil and gas drilling, and deep sea mining. Protecting the oceans and its inhabitants is ultimately a means of defending ourselves against climate change.
9. Reduce people’s consumption: Our transportation, dress, cuisine, and other lifestyle choices have varying effects on the environment. Often, this is intentional; fashion and technology corporations, for instance, release considerably more things than are truly required. However, although lowering consumption of these goods may be difficult, it is unquestionably worthwhile. Reducing overall consumption in more affluent nations can help alleviate pressure on the earth.
10. Reduce plastic use: Plastic is derived from crude oil, and the extraction, refining, and transformation of crude oil into plastic (or polyester for clothing) is surprisingly carbon-intensive. It does not decompose rapidly in nature, thus a great deal of plastic is burned, contributing to emissions. Due to the rapid rise in plastics demand, making and getting rid of plastics will take up 17 percent of the world’s carbon budget in 2050.
Positive aspects of sustainable agriculture
There are numerous benefits of sustainable agriculture, which can be categorised as health benefits for humans and environmental benefits. Crops produced through sustainable agriculture are more beneficial for human health. People are not exposed to or consuming manmade materials because chemical pesticides and fertilisers are absent. This reduces the likelihood that people may become unwell from exposure to these substances. In addition, the foods produced by sustainable agriculture may be more nutrient-dense due to the overall healthier and more natural state of the crops.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Livestock
Techniques to minimise greenhouse gas emissions from livestock may also improve cattle productivity and resilience. These technologies are more likely to lower the intensity of emissions as opposed to overall emissions; as a result, there may be limited financial potential for providing offsets.
This material is provided by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development of Western Australia to assist managers in making economic, environmental, and social decisions in response to climate change.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
There are four primary strategies for lowering greenhouse gas emissions from livestock:
Husbandry (animal breeding, feed supplements, better pastures)
Management systems (stocking rates, biological control)
Livestock numbers
Manure management
Conclusion
The threat posed by climate change to sustainable development is mounting. The anticipated effects of climate change could drastically impair the capacity of agriculture sectors to feed the globe and severely impede efforts to eliminate hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Urgent action is required to prepare agricultural sectors for the possibility of fast environmental change. As agriculture contributes to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change, it is crucial to limit agricultural emissions. Even in the absence of climate change, global agriculture and food security face formidable obstacles. In parts of the developing world, population expansion and rising affluence have pushed the demand for food and other agricultural goods to historic heights. Many low-income countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, will struggle to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient quantities of food absent increased efforts to reduce poverty and boost agricultural output.
