Food & Climate 

Basics

Introduction

Providing sufficient food for the world's people is becoming more difficult as the population exceeds six billion and as land, water, and ecosystems resources are degraded through overuse. Changes in the global pattern of food supply and demand may have consequences throughout the world because of the interdependence of the world's food systems.

Climate is one of the main factors which controls what natural resources we have and is an important element of sustainable development. Agriculture and water resources are intrinsically linked with climate.

If the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues, global warming is bound, sooner or later, to warm the Earth's surface sufficiently to affect regional climates. Global warming is also expected to change the patterns of climate variability and increase the occurrence of extreme weather events.  There is now concern that climate change has the potential to affect food production, crop pests and diseases and production costs. The negative impacts are expected to fall disproportionately on the poor.

In this 'basics' section of the Food and Climate unit, we will explain how changes in climate might affect food production.  We will also look at the ways in which climate affects plant growth and food production systems around the world.

1. Plants and climate

• Plants and the environment
• Distribution of the major crops
• Weeds, pests and diseases
  

2. Predicting the future

• Climate change effects on plants
• Contribution of agriculture
• What could happen to food production
  

3. Drought in the Mediterranean

• What is drought?
• Causes and types of drought
• Drought and fire

About this page:

author:  Marta Moneo and Dr. Ana Iglesias - Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, España
1. scientific reviewer: Alex de Sherbinin - CIESIN, Columbia University, USA
2. scientific reviewer: Lily Parshall - Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Columbia University, USA
educational reviewer: Emilio Sternfeld - Colegio Virgen de Mirasierra, España
last published: 2004-05-12