Food security and socio-economic dimensions
Topic 2(f) - Socioeconomic and food security dimensions of climate change in the agricultural sectors
Agricultural sectors are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change but are also a fundamental part of the solution to tackle climate change. Therefore, the sustainable transformation of agricultural sectors has a high potential to address many of the most pressing challenges of climate change impacts on the sector, especially on small-scale farmers, who produce over 70 percent of the world’s food needs. Agricultural sectors fulfil many livelihood functions, such as wellbeing, jobs and income for over 2.5 billion people, as well as food security for the global population. Yet, farmers are often constrained by limited access to resources, services, rights, technologies, markets and economic opportunities, which lower agricultural productivity, income, and affect the socio-economic and food security dimensions.
For those reasons, regardless of any ongoing mitigation efforts, it is essential to transform the agricultural sectors to simultaneously reduce emissions, increase production and foster adaptation and resilience to climate change, in line with the Paris Agreement’s preamble that recognizes the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security, ending hunger and poverty.
What FAO is doing
Recognizing the broad spectrum of socio-economic and food security dimensions of climate change and agriculture, FAO is supporting countries through tailored solutions for normative and technical work to address the risks and impacts of climate change. Furthermore, FAO is identifying low carbon and resilient solutions to food production and agriculture.
The FAO Strategy on Climate Change is grounded on principles relating to social inclusion and protection, the precedence of food security, poverty reduction, environmental and economic sustainability and results-oriented action to lower emissions and reduce climate risks through the following actions:
- Building an evidence-base for decision making
- Strengthening sector policies
- Protecting livelihoods
- Reducing food loss and waste
- Transforming agricultural trade
- Building resilience
Key Koronivia publications & documents
Resources
