Global warming poses major threats to international food security. It pushes a significant increase on the number of malnourished people - having an additional of 600 million individuals, children and adults alike by 2080 as warned by the United Nations human rights expert on Wednesday, Nov. 3
“Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as floods and droughts have a significant impact on the right to food,” Hilal Elver, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, said in a news release.
“All these climate incidents will negatively impact on crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and on people’s livelihoods,” she added. “Urgent action is needed to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, but mitigation and adaptation policies should respect the right to food as well as other fundamental human rights.”
She even stressed out that those people who actually contributed the least to climate change are the ones set to suffer the most from its harmful effects. Having it said, she encouraged that a major shift from industrial agriculture to transformative systems may be implemented. Such initiatives will put significant pressure on aquaculture, commercial fishing, livestock farming, crop cultivation, harvesting, as well as human rights, food democracy, environmental sustainability and healthy diet.
The recommendations have come in advance of this year's climate change conference to be held in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. Aimed towards achieving universal agreement on climate, this event anticipates to attract 50,000 participants, including 25,000 officials from more than 190 participating countries.
In the last quarter of 2014, it was also noted that despite considerable legislative and judicial progress in many countries throughout the world in the last decade, eradicating hunger and ensuring access to adequate food has not been universally achieved.
On the other hand, she also mentioned that such threats to global food security are not just caused by merely climate change and environmental degradation. Compounded by globalization of the food sector, an ever expanding monoculture for export and large corporations, and a worrisome rise in food prices in recent years, global warming prevents people from accessing their basic right to food in a well-deserved manner.
