AN INTEGRATED ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH: SYNERGIES AND TRADE-OFFS

SUMMARYGlobal food security is under threat by climate change, and the impacts fall disproportionately on resource-poor small producers. With the goal of making agricultural and food systems more climate-resilient, this paper presents an adaptation and mitigation framework. A road map for further agricultural research is proposed, based on the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. We propose a holistic, integrated approach that takes into account trade-offs and feedbacks between interventions. We divide the agenda into four research areas, three tackling risk management, accelerated adaptation and emissions mitigation, and the fourth facilitating adoption of research outputs. After reviewing specific technical, agronomic and policy options for reducing climate change vulnerability, we acknowledge that science and good-faith recommendations do not necessarily translate into effective and timely actions. We therefore outline impediments to behavioural change and propose that future research overcomes these obstacles by linking the right institutions, instruments and scientific outputs. Food security research must go beyond its focus on production to also examine food access and utilization issues. Finally, we conclude that urgent action is needed despite the uncertainties, trade-offs and challenges.

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Food and Earth Systems: Priorities for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation for Agriculture and Food Systems

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11051372 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1372 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Ana Loboguerrero ◽

Bruce Campbell ◽

Peter Cooper ◽

James Hansen ◽

Todd Rosenstock ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Food Systems ◽

Production Efficiency ◽

Agriculture Sector ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Development Goals ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

Human activities and their relation with land, through agriculture and forestry, are significantly impacting Earth system functioning. Specifically, agriculture has increasingly become a key sector for adaptation and mitigation initiatives that address climate change and help ensure food security for a growing global population. Climate change and agricultural outcomes influence our ability to reach targets for at least seven of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. By 2015, 103 nations had committed themselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, while 102 countries had prioritized agriculture in their adaptation agenda. Adaptation and mitigation actions within agriculture still receive insufficient support across scales, from local to international level. This paper reviews a series of climate change adaptation and mitigation options that can support increased production, production efficiency and greater food security for 9 billion people by 2050. Climate-smart agriculture can help foster synergies between productivity, adaptation, and mitigation, although trade-offs may be equally apparent. This study highlights the importance of identifying and exploiting those synergies in the context of Nationally Determined Contributions. Finally, the paper points out that keeping global warming to 2 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 requires going beyond the agriculture sector and exploring possibilities with respect to reduced emissions from deforestation, food loss, and waste, as well as from rethinking human diets.

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A Framework for Addressing the Twin Challenges of COVID-19 and Climate Change for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in South Asia

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems ◽

10.3389/fsufs.2021.679037 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Author(s):

Golam Rasul

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

South Asia ◽

Food Systems ◽

Natural Capital ◽

Health Sector ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Climate Mitigation ◽

Trade Offs

Climate change has begun to ravage agriculture and threaten food security in many parts of the world. The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has further disrupted agricultural activities and supply chains and has become a serious threat for public health. Like in many developing countries, South Asian farmers are now facing the double challenge of addressing the impacts of a changing climate and managing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Despite growing concern, there is limited understanding of how climate change, public health, and COVID-19 interact, and of the possible pathways to achieving a climate-friendly recovery from COVID-19 to achieve food and nutrition security. In view of this, this paper explores the multifaceted challenges that farmers are now facing in South Asia due to climate change and the disruption caused by COVID-19 from the agricultural and food security lens. The analysis reveals that the complex interactions of COVID-19 and climate change have impacted all dimensions of food security. These interlinkages demand an integrated approach in dealing with food, public health, and climate change to harness synergies and minimize trade-offs between food production, public health, and climate mitigation. I present a framework to address the immediate challenge of COVID-19 and the longer-term challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Key elements of the framework include the strengthening health sector response capacities, strengthening of local and regional food systems, making agriculture resilient to pandemics, adopting flexible and smart approaches—including the implementation of climate-smart agricultural interventions on different scales, promotion of appropriate research and innovation, and the integration of short-term support to address the challenges of COVID-19 to build long-term productivity, and resilience of food systems by investing on natural capital. This framework would enable policy makers to choose the appropriate policy responses at different scales, to address these twin challenges of COVID-19 and climate change.

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Synergies between adaptation and mitigation in climate change finance

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management ◽

10.1108/ijccsm-07-2014-0088 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 112-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Bruno Locatelli ◽

Giacomo Fedele ◽

Virginie Fayolle ◽

Alastair Baglee

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

General Interest ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Content Type ◽

Fund Allocation ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Project Complexity ◽

Insight Into ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

Purpose – As adaptation and mitigation are separated in international and national policies, there is also a division in the financial resources mobilized by the international community to help developing countries deal with climate change. Given that mitigation activities can benefit or hinder adaptation, and vice versa, promoting activities that contribute to both objectives can increase the efficiency of fund allocation and minimize trade-offs, particularly in land-related activities such as agriculture and forestry. The purpose of this study is to analyze how climate funding organizations consider the integration of adaptation and mitigation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors interviewed representatives of climate funds directed toward forestry and agriculture to gain a better understanding of how they perceive the benefits, risks and barriers of an integrated approach; whether they have concrete activities for promoting this approach; and how they foresee the future of adaptation–mitigation integration. Findings – Interviews revealed a diverse range of perceived benefits, risks and barriers at local, national and global scales. Most interviewees focused on the local benefits of this integration (e.g. increasing the resilience of forest carbon projects), whereas others emphasized global risks (e.g. decreasing global funding efficiency because of project complexity). Despite the general interest in projects and policies integrating adaptation and mitigation, few relevant actions have been implemented by organizations engaged in climate change finance. Originality/value – This paper provides new insight into how the representatives of climate funds perceive and act on the integration of adaptation and mitigation in forestry and agriculture. The findings by the authors can inform the development of procedures for climate change finance, such as the Green Climate Fund. While managers of climate funds face barriers in promoting an integrated approach to adaptation and mitigation, they also have the capacity and the ambition to overcome them.

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Synergies and Trade-Offs for Sustainable Food Production in Sweden: An Integrated Approach

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11030601 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 601 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Malin Tälle ◽

Lotten Wiréhn ◽

Daniel Ellström ◽

Mattias Hjerpe ◽

Maria Huge-Brodin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Food Production ◽

Resource Distribution ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Future Research ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Production Chain ◽

Sustainable Food Production ◽

Trade Offs

The production of food can have large impacts on sustainable development in relation to various socio-ecological dimensions, like climate change, the environment, animal welfare, livestock epidemiology, and the economy. To achieve a sustainable food production system in Sweden, an integrated approach that considers all five of these dimensions, and all parts of the food production chain, is necessary. This paper systematically reviewed the literature related to food production in Sweden, especially in association with resource distribution and recycling logistics, and identified potential sustainability interventions and assessed their effects according to the five dimensions. Participation of stakeholders across the food production chain contributed with the focus of the literature search and subsequent synthesis. In general, there were synergies between the sustainability interventions and their effect on climate change and the environment, while there often were trade-offs between effects on the economy and the other dimensions. Few interventions considered effects on animal welfare or livestock epidemiology and few studies dealt with resource distribution and recycling logistics. This indicates that there is a need for future research that considers this in particular, as well as research that considers the whole food production chain and all dimensions at once, and investigates effects across multiple scales.

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Identifying integrated options for agricultural climate change mitigation

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management ◽

10.1108/ijccsm-09-2012-0053 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 192-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John Tzilivakis ◽

Kathleen Lewis ◽

Andrew Green ◽

Douglas Warner

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Effective Means ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Management Options ◽

Content Type ◽

Mitigation Options ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Environmental Objectives ◽

Change Mitigation

Purpose – In order to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is essential that all industry sectors have the appropriate knowledge and tools to contribute. This includes agriculture, which is considered to contribute about a third of emissions globally. This paper reports on one such tool: IMPACCT: Integrated Management oPtions for Agricultural Climate Change miTigation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – IMPACCT focuses on GHGs, carbon sequestration and associated mitigation options. However, it also attempts to include information on economic and other environmental impacts in order to provide a more holistic perspective. The model identifies mitigation options, likely economic impacts and any synergies and trade-offs with other environmental objectives. The model has been applied on 22 case study farms in seven Member States. Findings – The tool presents some useful concepts for developing carbon calculators in the future. It has highlighted that calculators need to evolve from simply calculating emissions to identifying cost-effective and integrated emissions reduction options. Practical implications – IMPACCT has potential to become an effective means of provided targeted guidance, as part of a broader knowledge transfer programme based on an integrated suite of guidance, tools and advice delivered via different media. Originality/value – IMPACCT is a new model that demonstrates how to take a more integrated approach to mitigating GHGs on farms across Europe. It is a holistic carbon calculator that presents mitigation options in the context other environmental and economic objectives in the search for more sustainable methods of food production.

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Food for thought: food systems, livestock futures and animal health

Animal Health Research Reviews ◽

10.1017/s146625231300008x ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 159-162

Author(s):

Angela Wilkinson

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Systems ◽

Animal Health ◽

Global Food Security ◽

Futures Research ◽

Power And Control ◽

Key Issues ◽

Fundamental Misunderstanding ◽

And Control ◽

Global Food

AbstractGlobal food security, livestock production and animal health are inextricably bound. However, our focus on the future tends to disaggregate food and health into largely separate domains. Indeed, much foresight work is either food systems or health-based with little overlap in terms of predictions or narratives. Work on animal health is no exception. Part of the problem is the fundamental misunderstanding of the role, nature and impact of the modern futures tool kit. Here, I outline three key issues in futures research ranging from methodological confusion over the application of scenarios to the failure to effectively integrate multiple methodologies to the gap between the need for more evidence and power and control over futures processes. At its core, however, a better understanding of the narrative and worldview framing much of the futures work in animal health is required to enhance the value and impact of such exercises.

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Synergies and Trade-Offs between Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation across Multiple Scales of Governance

Adaptiveness: Changing Earth System Governance ◽

10.1017/9781108782180.008 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 102-126

Author(s):

Asim Zia

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Multiple Scales ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

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Quantifying synergies and trade-offs in the water-land-energy-food-climate nexus using a multi-model scenario approach

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-15192 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan Doelman ◽

Tom Kram ◽

Benjamin Bodirsky ◽

Isabelle Weindle ◽

Elke Stehfest

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Production ◽

Large Scale ◽

Sustainable Development Goals ◽

Integrated Assessment Model ◽

Assessment Model ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Development Goals

The human population has substantially grown and become wealthier over the last decades. These developments have led to major increases in the use of key natural resources such as food, energy and water causing increased pressure on the environment throughout the world. As these trends are projected to continue into the foreseeable future, a crucial question is how the provision of resources as well as the quality of the environment can be managed sustainably.Environmental quality and resource provision are intricately linked. For example, food production depends on availability of water, land suitable for agriculture, and favourable climatic circumstances. In turn, food production causes climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, and affects biodiversity through conversion of natural vegetation to agriculture and through the effects of excessive fertilizer and use of pesticides. There are many examples of the complex interlinkages between different production systems and environmental issues. To handle this complexity the nexus concept has been introduced which recognizes that different sectors are inherently interconnected and must be investigated in an integrated, holistic manner.Until now, the nexus literature predominantly exists of local studies or qualitative descriptions. This study present the first qualitative, multi-model nexus study at the global scale, based on scenarios simultaneously developed with the MAgPIE land use model and the IMAGE integrated assessment model. The goal is to quantify synergies and trade-offs between different sectors of the water-land-energy-food-climate nexus in the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Each scenario is designed to substantially improve one of the nexus sectors water, land, energy, food or climate. A number of indicators that capture important aspects of both the nexus sectors and related SDGs is selected to assess whether these scenarios provide synergies or trade-offs with other nexus sectors, and to quantify the effects. Additionally a scenario is developed that aims to optimize policy action across nexus sectors providing an example of a holistic approach that achieves multiple sustainable development goals.The results of this study highlight many synergies and trade-offs. For example, an important trade-off exists between climate change policy and food security targets: large-scale implementation of bio-energy and afforestation to achieve stringent climate targets negatively impacts food security. An interesting synergy exists between the food, water and climate sectors: promoting healthy diets reduces water use, improves water quality and increases the uptake of carbon by forests.

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Is Current Research on How Climate Change Impacts Global Food Security Really Objective?

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10102342 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 2342

Author(s):

Wangang Liu ◽

Yiping Chen ◽

Xinhua He ◽

Ping Mao ◽

Hanwen Tian

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Food Security ◽

Field Research ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Hotspot Analysis ◽

Global Food Security ◽

The Impact ◽

Global Food

Global food insecurity is becoming more severe under the threat of rising global carbon dioxide concentrations, increasing population, and shrinking farmlands and their degeneration. We acquired the ISI Web of Science platform for over 31 years (1988–2018) to review the research on how climate change impacts global food security, and then performed cluster analysis and research hotspot analysis with VosViewer software. We found there were two drawbacks that exist in the current research. Firstly, current field research data were defective because they were collected from various facilities and were hard to integrate. The other drawback is the representativeness of field research site selection as most studies were carried out in developed countries and very few in developing countries. Therefore, more attention should be paid to developing countries, especially some African and Asian countries. At the same time, new modified mathematical models should be utilized to process and integrate the data from various facilities and regions. Finally, we suggested that governments and organizations across the world should be united to wrestle with the impact of climate change on food security.

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