Fe» 8106 » CLIMATE, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENT » CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD, THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ICS CLIMATE SCIENCE REPORT CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD: THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS. FROM THE IPCC’S CLIMATE SCIENCE REPORT 63 << VIEW ALL BLOG posts The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — the UN body tasked with assessing the latest climate science — issued its most dire warning yet about the threats posed by a rapidly changing climate. The way we grow, distribute, consume, and dispose of food around the world both fuels climate change and will suffer tremendously as the world warms over the coming years, The IPCC’s latest report highlights some of the critical ways that our food systems and the climate crisis interact, for good and bad. From deadly floods 9 central China and Germany to historic water shortages in the Colorado River and unprecedented wildfires in Southern Europe, the summer of 2021 has once again highlighted the increasing severity of climate impacts around the world. The most recent IPCC report shines a light on the growing frequency of devastating extreme events that increasingly batter communities, including at times in the form of multiple yerlapping catastronhes, ‘The IPCC report specifically points to the role of agriculture in a worsening climate as 2 major driver of the climate crisis, a highly vulnerable economic sector, and a potential solution. Here are three main takeaways from the landmark climate report, all of which have major implications for how we produce and consume food around the world: 7Food systems may be responsible for a staggering one-third of global ‘steenhouse-gas em/ssions. They emit carbon dioxide — mainly from running tractors, transporting food, and storing food — and also generate other planet-warming gases. including so-called short-lived climate pollutants Ike methane, These gases remain in the atmosphere for much less time than carbon dioxide, but they are hundreds of times more potent, and therefore olay a huge role in fueling the climate crisis, especially in the weeks and months after they are emitted, This was the frst cime that the IPCC dedicated an entire chaater to gases ‘other than carton dioxide, and the findings are staggering, In 2019, ‘atmospheric concentrations of methane and nitrous oxides were hicher than at any timo in at Jeast 800.000 yaars, The report shows that BOL Cultura is a maior driver of the unprecedented increase in these ‘omissions because of livestock production, rice farming, aquaculture, and other high-omitting activities as woll 2s tho widespread use of fertilizers to row crops. Despite those gases’ substantial affect on warming, and their potential to "contribute significantly to the efforts of limiting warming to ‘LS! (the stretch temperature target identified in the Par's Agreement) to ete they have received insufficient attention from policymakers, 2. INTENSIFYING CLIMATE IMPACTS WILL HARM GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, Severe droughts, which have devastating etfects on food and agriculture, have already became much more (recent aver the past few decades. The report warns that at just 15°C of warming, these events will become twice as likely as they used to be. These impacts are occurring in part because Grier areas receive less rainfall and a warmer atmosphere evaporates more ‘moisture from the soll or plants. Even worse, the report notes that ‘communities around the world are now increasinaly facing mullipl= hazards at the same time, with overwhelming consequences for food. These impacts will increasingly threaten food production, which in turn fuels malnutrition, conflict, and migration, 3. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES CAN BE CRITICAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS While the next two volumes in this IPCC report cycle, slated for release in 2022, will focus on opportunities to counter and adapt to global warming, the analysis incluced in this latest report already presents several ways that agriculture can help fight climate change and become more resilient. Improved agricultural practices, such as crop rotation and covering, can Increase soil carbon uptake and retention. Peatlands (carbor-rich wetlands) have too often been drained to grow food, out, when restored to their natural state, they can drastically reduce emissions and offer a home toa wide variety of plants and animals. And the flip side to short-lived climate pollutants is that "s mothane em ssions" can rapidly help reduce the warming effect. Farmers already have a var ety of solut ons at their disposal, from incorporating special feed into ruminant diets to reducing the duration of flooding when {growing rice. To deal comprehensively with climate change, we will nesc to quickly ramp up agricultural practices lke these. id and sustained re 24The IPCC report has, once again, made clear that the window to avoid catastrophic climate impacts is closing rapidly, As leeders gear up for the next UN climate change conference in Glasgow (COP-26) in November, they are facing growing pressure to enhance climate ambition and develop Credible national pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. But no plan that fails to include food and agriculture will suffice, Tho UN Food Systems Summit, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene on Sept. 23, is the perfect opportunity to shine @ light on food systems solutions that can reduce emissions while bulling resilience to ‘ne long-term impacts of climate change. Featured Photo: Taylor Siebert/ Unsplash RELATED ARTICLES rrosnp ev me 9.200 READ MORE >> GLOBAL CLIMATE REPORT, 5. ‘QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IPCC suiyanzen DUNE A 031 READ MORE >> READ MORE >> a4WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE UP TO? Fires Name Postal Code oe ~~ United Netio Financials Mission and History ae Privacy Policy Contact Us aa