The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security

The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security

Introduction

Global warming and climate change are major global concerns, mainly due to their impact on people’s lives. The main areas of concern are the food security that arises from abrupt deviations in weather patterns and the risk of natural disasters such as flooding and wildfires. Though various measures have been taken to create awareness of the impact of human activities on global warming and climate change, it is hard to control the emission of greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels. Therefore, it is crucial to design coping strategies to deal with the negative impacts of global warming and climate change and prevent climate-related problems such as food insecurity.

Climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably but are not the same phenomenon. What are the differences between the two concepts, and what leads to their confusion?

Global warming is the long-term increase in the Earth’s temperatures. Consequently, climate change is the changes in the weather patterns that define global, regional, and local climates. According to Shahzad (2015), global warming directly impacts the changes in weather patterns in different regions based on the extent of disruption of sea level, temperature, and precipitation. This could cause climate change issues such as lack of rain and extreme hot or cold seasons. One of the main differences between climate change and global warming is that global warming arises from human activities, whereas human activities and natural processes cause climate change. For example, climate change may occur due to the glacial retreat and ice age cycles over the years caused by the alterations in the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Global warming is attributed to increased greenhouse gases emitted from human activities (Uddin, 2022). Another difference is that global warming describes the average increase in the Earth’s temperature, while climate change describes how global weather patterns are affected by natural and human processes. The terms climate change and global warming are applied interchangeably, leading to the assumption that they are similar. The main reason for the confusion between the two terms is that an increase in the Earth’s temperatures results in climate change, primarily because of extreme weather. Global warming also increases climate change, leading to confusion about whether global warming is a form of climate change. A clear distinction between global warming and climate change can be derived by considering the increase in the global average temperatures and the causes of climate change based on ecological changes, a rise in sea level, geological changes, and ocean acidity and circulations.

In 1900, the average global temperature was about 13.7° Celsius (56.7° Fahrenheit) (Osborn, 2021), but as of 2020, the temperature has risen another 1.2°C to 14.9°C (58.9°F). According to the Earth and climate science community, if the Earth’s surface temperature rises another 2°C (3.6°F), we will suffer catastrophic weather patterns that, among other things, will raise sea levels, cause widespread droughts and wildfires, result in plant, insect, and animal extinctions, and reduce agricultural productivity throughout the world (Mastroianni, 2015 and Lindsey & Dahlman, 2020). How much credibility do you place in these projections? Why?

I place high credibility in the projections made by the Earth and climate science community for various reasons. Greenhouse gases continue increasing because of human activities, thus creating a likelihood of an increase in global earth temperatures over the years. There has also been a rapid increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, increasing climate change risk. Therefore, there is a high risk of increased global warming in the future, leading to an increase in sea level and a shift in precipitation patterns, increasing the risk of food insecurity. The rapid rise in the Earth’s temperatures also increases the risk of wildfires because of extremely high temperatures. Schimel & Corley (2021) state that climate change creates dry, warm conditions, leading to more active and longer fire seasons. For instance, due to extremely high temperatures, Southern Europe has struggled to control massive wildfires in countries such as France, Greece, and Spain. I also place high credibility in the projections by the Earth and Climate Science community because climate change is linked to reduced agricultural production mainly due to lack of water and unfavorable weather conditions. Therefore, food scarcity is highly likely due to increased global warming and climate change. The continued rise in the Earth’s temperatures also increases the risk of depletion of natural animal habitats in different regions, leading to extinction. Some plants may also become extinct because of unfavorable weather conditions. The impacts of climate change and global warming may be felt differently in various regions based on the temperature levels in the region and the alteration of weather patterns, hence the need to constantly monitor any climatic and temperature changes to prepare for the catastrophic impacts of global warming and climate change.

There is no question that changes in its weather patterns threaten the Earth’s food sources, but what specific challenges does climate change pose to people’s food security in the developing world?

Climate change is a leading cause of food insecurity in different countries. Mexico and Liberia are among the countries that have experienced high food insecurity due to climate change. One of the challenges climate change poses to people’s food security in the developing world is reduced crop production due to drought (Magaña-Lemus et al., 2016). Many developing countries do not have the technology and expertise to sustain food production during extreme weather conditions. For example, many regions in developing countries have not invested in water harvesting and irrigation to ensure a constant water supply for agriculture. Therefore, when there are extremely high temperatures and a lack of rain, many crops dry up, leading to a lack of enough food supply. For example, wheat and corn production decreases when extremely high temperatures and rain patterns change. Another challenge posed by climate change to the food security of people in the developing world is the decreased nutritional value of the food produced (Pewee & Mulbah, 2021). Many countries in the developing world have not embraced the use of genetically modified seeds to sustain agriculture, leading to the production of crops that are vulnerable to diseases and the negative impacts of climate change, such as high concentrations of carbon dioxide, which reduces the concentration of zinc, protein, and iron in the plants. This could increase the risk of malnutrition, including protein and zinc deficiencies. Developing countries are also at a high risk of food insecurity caused by climate change because of the overreliance on specific crops as the primary source of food. Many developing countries emphasize producing staple foods such as maize and wheat. This creates a risk of reduced crop yield during extreme weather conditions, thus increasing the risk of food security. Climate change also impacts the price of food in the developing world. For example, climate change may reduce the production of maize, leading to an increase in the price of maize flour.

There is currently a debate among some multinational lending agencies like the International Monetary Fund, UNICEF, and AID over the financial support for food security has been misused by recipient government officials. On the other hand, U.S. authorities insist that misuse of its assistance is not occurring because it has strict monitoring oversight. What is your position on this matter? Is there evidence that government officials are widely misusing financial assistance to developing governments?

I believe that recipient government officials misused the financial support for food security in different countries, especially in the developing world. The delivery of food supplies in areas with food insecurity was more effective in ensuring the targeted communities got enough food aid to sustain themselves, but the move towards offering financial assistance to address food insecurity is ineffective because it mainly enriches the government officials receiving the financial aid. For instance, Yemen is among the countries that have witnessed public corruption financial scandals because of the misuse of financial assistance donated to ensure that the communities in the region have access to food (Elayah et al., 2022). In 2018, the United Nations World Food Program decided to divert humanitarian food relief from Yemen after learning that many communities in the country had not received the food rations they were entitled to receive (United Nations World Food Programme, 2018). Unfortunately, many communities are denied food relief or given substandard food rations, especially in the developing world, because the government officials who receive financial assistance for food relief take some of the money for their personal gain and claim that it was used to purchase food and cater for the transportation costs. Many communities facing food insecurity, especially in developing countries, live in remote areas where they do not have access to channels they can use to report the misappropriation of food relief aid, thus allowing government officials to redirect the funds to other personal expenses. Most of them are also uneducated, thus limiting their ability to express their concerns. Therefore, although multinational agencies like AID, UNICEF, and the International Monetary Fund may take various measures to prevent the misuse of financial assistance for food security, it is hard to collaborate with the local communities receiving assistance because they may not be able to report. Some may prefer to stay silent because they fear being denied relief food for exposing corrupt government officials.

Conclusion

Human beings have a responsibility to prevent global warming and climate change. Therefore, human beings should use innovation to prevent the release of greenhouse gases that are the leading cause of global warming and climate change. Creating awareness of global temperatures and climate changes is also essential to prepare people for negative impacts such as drought and floods. Government officials, especially in developing countries, are responsible for promoting food security by using the financial assistance provided for food relief to supply food in areas with food insecurity and assisting farmers in adapting to climatic changes by providing drought-resistant crops and equipment needed to install proper irrigation systems in areas with water shortage.

References

Elayah, M., Gaber, Q., & Fenttiman, M. (2022). From food to cash assistance: Rethinking humanitarian aid in Yemen. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-022-00119-w

Magaña-Lemus, D., Ishdorj, A., Rosson, C. P., & Lara-Álvarez, J. (2016). Determinants of household food insecurity in Mexico. Agricultural and Food Economics, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-016-0054-9

Pewee, F., & Mulbah, H. (2021). Covid-19, food insecurity and health in Liberia. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 84–90. https://doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2021/v40i1731438

Schimel, D. S., & Corley, J. C. (2021). Climate change and western wildfires. Ecological Applications, 31(8). https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2452

Shahzad, U. (2015). Global Warming: Causes, Effects and Solutions. Dureesamin Journal, 1(4). https://doi.org/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316691239_Global_Warming_Causes_Effects_and_Solutions

Uddin, S. (2022). Causes, effects, and solutions to global warming. Academia Letters. https://doi.org/10.20935/al4829

United Nations World Food Programme. (2018, December 31). WFP demands action after uncovering misuse of food relief intended for hungry people – in Yemen. ReliefWeb. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-demands-action-after-uncovering-misuse-food-relief-intended-hungry-people

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The United Nations (UN) has hired you as a consultant, and your task is to assess the impact that global warming is expected to have on population growth and the ability of societies in the developing world to ensure the adequate security of their food supplies.

The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security

Case Assessment

As the world’s population nears 10 billion by 2050, the effects of global warming are stripping some natural resources from the environment. As they diminish in number, developing countries will face mounting obstacles to improving the livelihoods of their citizens and stabilizing their access to enough food. These governments are struggling even now because our climate influences their economic health and their people’s consequent diminishing living standards. Climate changes are responsible for the current loss of biodiversity and the physical access to some critical farming regions. As such, these changes in global weather patterns diminish agricultural output and food distribution to local and international markets. These difficulties will become even more significant for these countries as the Earth’s climate changes for the worse. Temperatures are increasing incrementally, and polar ice caps are melting, so the salient question is: what does this suggest for developing societies?

Before the developing world, the issue was not its lack of food but how to gain access to food. Simply put, changes in our climate are affecting the global food chain and, hence, the living standards of entire populations. Additionally, food is not getting where needed to prevent hunger or starvation. In many developing countries, shortages are due to governments’ control over distribution networks rather than insufficient food supply. In effect, these governments are weaponizing food by favoring certain ethnic or religious groups over others. When added to the dramatic climate changes that we are experiencing even now, the future for billions of poor people looks increasingly dim.

Instructions

You are to write a minimum of a 5-page persuasive paper for the UN that addresses the following questions about the relationship between atmospheric weather patterns and food security in the developing world:

1. Climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably but are not the same phenomenon. What are the differences between the two concepts, and what leads to their confusion?
2. In 1900, the average global temperature was about 13.7° Celsius (56.7° Fahrenheit) (Osborn, 2021), but as of 2020, the temperature has risen another 1.2°C to 14.9°C (58.9°F). According to the Earth and climate science community, if the Earth’s surface temperature rises another 2°C (3.6°F), we will suffer catastrophic weather patterns that, among other things, will raise sea levels, cause widespread droughts and wildfires, result in plant, insect, and animal extinctions, and reduce agricultural productivity throughout the world (Mastroianni, 2015 and Lindsey & Dahlman, 2020). How much credibility do you place in these projections? Why?
3. There is no question that changes in its weather patterns threaten the Earth’s food sources, but what specific challenges does climate change pose to people’s food security in the developing world?
4. There is currently a debate among some multinational lending agencies like the International Monetary Fund, UNICEF, and AID over the financial support for food security has been misused by recipient government officials. On the other hand, U.S. authorities insist that misuse of its assistance is not occurring because it has strict monitoring oversight in place. What is your position on this matter? Is there evidence that government officials are widely misusing financial assistance to developing governments?