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Research for Food Security in a Changing Climate Theme Month

man looks at leaf

Projected Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security

Right now, approximately one out of every 11 people on Earth are undernourished. This number is expected to increase as the global population expands from 7.9 billion to a predicted 8.5 billion in 2030. The growing demand for food will require an increase in agricultural production, which is already a challenging undertaking. It is projected that in order to keep up with demand, global agricultural production will require a 70% increase by 2050.

The climate crisis is expected to exacerbate this challenge; it is leading to increased crop failures, water insecurity, depletion of natural resources and more frequent and extreme weather events. Global temperatures are projected to increase by 1-2 degrees Celsius from preindustrial levels by 2050. For every 1 degree Celsius increase, the global yields of the three major cereals — rice, wheat and maize — are expected to decrease by 3-7% (3% for rice, 6% for wheat and over 7% for maize).

The world’s rural poor, who depend on agriculture for their food and livelihood, and the smallholder farmers, who help to feed them, will be hardest hit. Projections suggest that a 1.5 degree Celsius increase could result in an additional 530-550 million undernourished people, while a 2 degrees Celsius increase could result in an additional 540-590 million. In addition, a deteriorating natural resource base reduces the resilience of the production system to climate variability and depresses future productivity.

Meeting the Demand

The challenge of meeting the food demands requires agriculture to keep up with an expanding world population while decreasing its contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural research developed with climate adaptation and the needs of smallholder farmers at the forefront has the power to address demands. This will require ambitious investment in climate-smart agriculture, including research to increase efficiency of inputs, increase yield and nutritional content, and improve pest and disease resistance and surveillance methods, as well as engagement with smallholder farmers, the ultimate users of these innovations.

The role of research in addressing food security demands related to climate change has been previewed in the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) Research Annex and will be expanded on in the forthcoming Global Food Security Research Strategy.

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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILLSSI) in Ghana; two people tending to crops in a field.

An Island of Green in Ghana: Smallholder Farmers Adapt to Climate Change with Solar Irrigation

Smallholder farmers adapt to climate change with solar irrigation. On a small farm of less than five acres, the Assime family grows sorghum, rice, peppers and okra, and keeps a...
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Nicole Lefore

Feb 28, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Climate and Natural Resources Education and Extension Nutrition Resilience
Pile of taro in a market

New Initiative to Confront Taro Leaf Blight in Nigeria

A new project based at the Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement will use genetic analyses to better understand taro leaf blight and develop varieties that can stand up to the...
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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement

Feb 28, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Nutrition
In Ethiopia, farmer Wubejig Kefale harvests green feed for her lactating cows. Photo Credit: Innovation Lab For Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR) and Amhara Region of Ethiopia by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)/Fikadu Tessema, Licensed: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Collaborative Research on Livestock Feed-Related Interventions Improves Productivity and Tackles Climate Change in Africa

New strategies to address climate change issues related to livestock have great potential to reduce methane in ruminants while preserving the productivity of the animals.
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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems

Feb 24, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Climate and Natural Resources
Fruit, vegetables, beans, canola oil and cotton against a blue backdrop

Agricultural Biotechnology: A Vital Tool to Address Food Security and Climate Change

Tools of agricultural biotechnology may offer diverse, science-driven approaches to alleviate the accelerating pace of climate change and food insecurity while building on using these products safely.
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Food Safety for Food Security

Feb 24, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Climate and Natural Resources Food Safety Markets and Trade Policy and Governance Resilience
Two women sitting at a table, one holding a pencil and one holding a bowl.

The Fish Innovation Lab: Improving Livelihoods through Food Security Research

Aquaculture and fisheries play an important role in food security. Check out how the Innovation Lab for Fish is working to improve food security in Africa and Asia.
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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish

Feb 18, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Education and Extension Food Safety Gender Nutrition Youth
Peter Malusi, a technician at the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), scouts for natural enemies of the destructive fall armyworm in Niger.

Protecting Food Security from Transboundary Pests and Building Resilient Agrifood Systems

Protecting genetic gains from transboundary pests through innovative plant health solutions is as important as our intensive efforts to increase genetic gains using novel breeding tools/technologies.

Prasanna B.M.

Feb 16, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Food Safety Gender Resilience
Three men standing outside a shop with solar panels.

New Market Research Captures the Potential of Mali’s Solar-Powered Irrigation Sector

A thriving solar panel market forms a solid foundation for boosting small farmers’ uptake of solar-powered irrigation pumps, new research finds.

International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Feb 16, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Policy and Governance Resilience
Tractor in India

Get Ready to Mitigate

If a stable global climate is to be attained, agriculture, notably agriculture in the developing world, will play a pivotal role.
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Channing Arndt

Feb 15, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Climate and Natural Resources Policy and Governance
A young woman standing in her farmland displays the mobile application Plantix — Your Crop Doctor

Agriculture and Climate Change: Call “Plantix — Your Crop Doctor” for Help

The Plantix application uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help farmers and extension workers in Bangladesh combat the effects of climate change.
profile image of Kendra Poole profile image of Lilyana  Gabrielse

Kendra Poole

Lilyana Gabrielse

Feb 10, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Climate and Natural Resources Education and Extension Resilience
Man presents to seated group outside in Malawi

Capitalizing on Time in the Race to Breed Inclusive, Resilient Crops

Innovations by a team of cowpea breeders across Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania are making it possible to expand breeding operations in less time by making more efficient use of water.
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Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement

Feb 02, 2022
Agricultural Productivity Climate and Natural Resources

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