Agriculture and Food Security in an Era of Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change is radically affecting the circumstances under which food is produced, delivered, and consumed globally. The growing world population, urbanization and dietary transition continue to increase global food demand and are challenged by the convergence of rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, increasing frequency of extreme weather events, sea level rise and changing pest and disease dynamics. This chapter presents a holistic and multi-dimensional view of the relationship between climate change and food security, based on the four pillars of food security, availability, access, utilization, and stability, and enlarged to include agency and sustainability as increasingly recognized additional dimensions. It examines biophysical impacts on crop, livestock and fisheries systems, evaluates regional and social vulnerabilities and assesses a broad spectrum of adaptation and mitigation approaches from crop breeding, water management and agroecology to digital agriculture, alternative proteins and social protection. It next examines the economic consequences of climate change for agriculture, the technological breakthroughs that are altering the industry, and the policy architecture from the Paris Agreement to national adaptation plans and trade governance that influences how agricultural systems react to climate risk. Five regional case studies highlight how these processes play out in reality and the chapter concludes with a discussion of persisting gaps in finance, equality, measurement and implementation ability, along with tangible suggestions for research and policy. The core message is that climate resilient food systems necessitate integrated, sustained action across technological, institutional, economic and social dimensions, with special focus on smallholder farmers, women, Indigenous communities and food-insecure regions that carry a disproportionate burden of climate risk while contributing the least to its drivers.