Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change launches summary report for policy-makers

The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, a research initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), has released a report reviewing the scientific evidence that identifies a pathway to achieving food security in the context of climate change.  

The Commissioners’ summary report, entitled ‘Achieving food security in the face of climate change’, provides case studies from various countries and regions to show how policies that support affordable food, viable farm livelihoods and healthy environments can be brought to scale.  The report suggests a “safe space” exists in which enough nutritious food can be grown while adapting to climate change and limiting agriculture’s contribution to the GHG problem.  Under seven key messages, the Commission proposes a wide-ranging set of pragmatic actions that provide the means to navigate the “safe space”.

Key findings of the report:

Food systems must shift to better meet human needs and, in the long term, balance with planetary resources. This will demand major interventions, at local to global scales, to transform current patterns of food production, distribution and consumption. Investment, innovation, and deliberate effort to empower the world's most vulnerable populations will be required to construct a global food system that adapts to climate change and ensures food security while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and sustaining our natural resource base. Greatly expanded investments in sustainable agriculture, including improving supporting infrastructure and restoring degraded ecosystems, are an essential component of long-term economic development. The sooner they are made, the greater the benefits will be.

The Commission is funded by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD). The Commission's recommendations will be presented on 3^rd December at Agriculture and Rural Development Day.

Further details about the Commission can be found here.