Climate change puts global food security at risk: report

Global food security is facing multiple risks in the near future, as worrying global climate trend is likely to disrupt food availability, decreases access to food and make food utilisation more difficult, according to a report released Tuesday at the Paris climate change conference.

The scientific assessment, titled "Climate Change, Global Food Security and the U.S. Food System", was led by the Department of Agriculture of the United States. It identifies the risks that climate change poses to global food security and the challenges facing farmers and consumers in adapting to changing climate conditions.

The report found that climate change is likely to cause disruptions in food production and a decrease in food safety, which in turn leads to local availability limitations and increases in food prices, with these risks greatest for the global poor and in tropical regions.

In a brief speech for the launching of the report, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the past six years were a success story in terms of global food security. "200 million fewer people are food insecure today than they were six years ago."

But he also pointed out that the challenge now is to maintain and even accelerate this progress despite the threats from climate change.

"The report we are releasing today highlights these challenges and offers pathways to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change," said Vilsack.

The findings are based on researches conducted by 31 authors and contributors from four countries. Endit