Global warming is a threat to food security and farmers’ livelihoods

PARIS, 5 December 2007 – “Global warming affects agriculture and farmers worldwide and could represent a serious threat to agricultural production if governments and the international community do not commit to work seriously on the follow up of the Kyoto Protocol” said the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP), representing farmers worldwide. For farmers, the UNFCC Conference held in Bali is the occasion to show serious commitments by all the countries to work on future negotiations, as a first step until the end of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. “The pressure on natural resources created by global warming will place farmers’ livelihoods in danger and threaten food security if more is not done to address the situation” said the IFAP President Jack Wilkinson, “the future of the planet and agriculture will depend on strong political will.”

For farmers, global warming is not just a percentage of gas emissions on a paper, it represents a real impact in their fields and implies significant changes to agricultural production as it is practised right now. Therefore, mitigating and adapting to climate change is a top priority for farmers. Commitments have to be made by governments and the international community in Bali to move ahead to reduce global warming and the pressure on the environment, and to provide the necessary support to adapt to its adverse effects.

Agriculture is at the heart of the climate change agenda. It is the sector that will be most heavily impacted by the effects of climate change, and it is also the sector that offers the greatest potential to mitigate and adapt to its effects. According to the Stern Report, agriculture is responsible for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions. However, farmers, as custodians of the natural resources, have a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a wider development of sustainable agricultural practices and integrated natural resource management. As key actors to mitigate and adapt to climate change, farmers are ready to unite their efforts along with governments, provided that States commit to work on concrete solutions and provide the necessary support.

Weather patterns have become more extreme and unpredictable than in the past. Farmers are particularly vulnerable to weather extremes, with disastrous effects on their incomes. Insurance payments may cover some losses e.g. for farm buildings and equipment, but unless governments bring in special disaster assistance measures, farmers in most countries are on their own for losses of crops and livestock. For farmers in developing countries, a drought or flood can rapidly become a case of relying on humanitarian assistance to survive. According to most environmental specialists, unpredictable weather patterns are linked to climate change, especially to global warming. Over the next 50 years, this situation is expected to get worse. Poor farmers in developing countries will be the first victims.

Note: More information about the farmers’ point a view on climate change at www.ifap.org

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IFAP is the world farmers’ organisation representing over 600 million farm families grouped in 115 national organisations in 80 countries. It is a global network in which farmers from industrialised and developing countries exchange concerns and set common priorities. IFAP advocates farmers’ interests at the international level since 1946 and has General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

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