The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Lennart Olsson, LUCSUS

Lennart Olsson

Professor, Docent

Lennart Olsson, LUCSUS

Climate Change and Food Systems

Author

  • Alisher Mirzabaev
  • Lennart Olsson
  • Rachel Bezner Kerr
  • Prajal Pradhan
  • Marta Guadalupe Rivera Ferre
  • Hermann Lotze-Campen

Summary, in English

Climate change affects the functioning of all of the components of food systems, often in ways that exacerbate existing predicaments and inequalities among regions of the world and groups in society. At the same time, food systems are a major cause of climate change, accounting for a third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, food systems can and should play a much bigger role in climate policies. This chapter highlights nine action points for climate change adaptation and mitigation in food systems. The chapter shows that numerous practices, technologies, knowledge and social capital already exist for climate action in food systems, with multiple synergies with other important goals, such as the conservation of biodiversity, the safeguarding of ecosystem services, sustainable land management and reducing social and gender inequalities. Many of these solutions are presently being applied at local scales around the world, even if not at sufficient levels. Hence, the major effort to unleash their potential would involve overcoming various technical, political-economic and structural barriers for their much wider application. Some other solutions require research and development investments now, but will focus on helping us meet the longer-term challenges of climate change in regard to food systems in the second half of this century, when most existing food production practices will face unprecedented challenges. In the short term, these pro-poor policy changes and support systems can have a range of positive effects well beyond food systems without delay. In the long term, investments in research will help ensure food security and ecosystem integrity for coming generations.

Department/s

  • LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)

Publishing year

2023-01-01

Language

English

Pages

511-529

Publication/Series

Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

Springer International Publishing

Topic

  • Climate Research

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISBN: 9783031157028
  • ISBN: 9783031157035