Food security and climate change According to Anbumozhiand Portugal (2011), there are four ways by which climate change would affect crop production and food security. They are: 1. Changes in temperatures and precipitation 2. Carbon dioxide effects 3. Water availability 4. Agricultural loses Table 1. Potential impacts of climate change on food systems Climate Change Impacts Increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events Rising temperatures Shifting agricultural seasons and rainfall patterns Sea level rise Direct consequences for food systems Decreases in crop yields Loss of livestock Damage to fisheries and forests Either an excess or shortage of water Disruption of food supply-chains Increased costs for marketing and distributing food  Increased evapotranspiration, resulting in reduced soil moisture (land degradation and desertification)  Greater destruction of crops by pests  Greater threats to livestock health  Reduced quantity and reliability of agricultural yields  Greater need for cooling/refrigeration to maintain food quality and safety  Greater threat of wildfires  Reduced quantity and quality of agricultural yields and forest products  Either an excess or shortage of water  Greater needs for irrigation  Damage to coastal fisheries  Direct loss of cultivable due to inundation an salinization of soil  Salinization of water sources       Source: Anbumozhi and Portugal, 2011 Figure 3 shows a conceptual framework from FAO “describing the dynamics of potential climate change impact and positive and negative feedback loops in the food security components.” (Anbumozhi and Portugal, 20011, p.6). Figure 3. Climate change variables and impacts on food security CBMS-FAO | 12