Hot enough for you? Well, guess what, it’s going to get hotter.

Have you heard about global warming? Well, it’s true. The temperature of the planet is going up.

Over the last hundred years, the average temperature of the earth’s surface has risen by 0.6 degrees. By the end of this century, it is expected to increase by another 1.4 to 5.8 degrees. That may not sound like much, but it could trigger major environmental changes that affect everyone on the planet, especially the poor and hungry.

What is FAO doing to help the world cope with global warming?

Two things before we answer:

First, to understand what FAO is doing in the area of global warming, you need to know about the science of global warming.

Second, FAO’s efforts fit into a larger plan of action that members of the United Nations have adopted for dealing with global warming. You really should find out more about the United Nations and climate change.

OK, so now let’s get back to your question: What is FAO doing to help its members cope with global warming?

‘No regrets’

Well, how about we avoid the question just a little bit longer and start by explaining what it doesn’t do?

FAO’s number one priority will always be helping the countries of the world bring an end to hunger. We know for certain that millions of people are suffering from hunger right now.

We don’t know for certain what the effects of global warming will be in the years to come. If FAO were to help countries carry out projects based on climate forecasts that turn out to be inaccurate, lots of valuable time and money will have been wasted.

So FAO takes what it calls a “no regrets” approach to global warming. This means that its activities focus on things that need to be done right away to help the poor and hungry, no matter what the consequences of global warming turn out to be.

So does that mean FAO is just ignoring the problem?

Not at all. By helping countries improve their food production in ways that are environmentally friendly, FAO is directly addressing many of the root causes of global warming. That’s because some of the major factors contributing to global warming are related to unsustainable practices in agriculture and forestry. These practices aren’t just bad because they contribute to global warming. They’re bad because they contribute to environmental degradation. They’re bad because they contribute to hunger and threaten the future of the world’s food supply.

So to finally answer your question: almost all of FAO’s work relates in some way to global warming.

You’re thinking that’s not really a very helpful answer, right?