Climate change will drive more poverty
A new report warns that up to 122 million more people worldwide could be living in extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of climate change and its impacts on small-scale farmers'' incomes.
The report indicates that even in the best and worst case scenarios the impacts of climate change impacts on Namibia will be very high.
The 2016 State of Food and Agriculture report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation however says that significant improvements in food security, as well as resilience to climate change can be achieved with the introduction of sustainable agricultural practices.
According to the report climate change is a major and growing threat to global food security and it warns that the population living in poverty could increase by between 35 and 122 million by 2030.
This it says is largely due to the negative impacts that climate change has on incomes in the agricultural sector. The increase in the number of poor would be the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa, partly because its population is more reliant on agriculture.
There is no simple “technological fix”, the report warns.
“What is needed is a reorientation of agricultural and rural development policies that resets incentives and lowers the barriers to the transformation of food and agricultural systems.”
According to the report particular attention should be given to supporting low-income smallholder farmers in strengthening their capacity to manage risks and adopt effective climate change adaptation strategies.
ELLANIE SMIT
The report indicates that even in the best and worst case scenarios the impacts of climate change impacts on Namibia will be very high.
The 2016 State of Food and Agriculture report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation however says that significant improvements in food security, as well as resilience to climate change can be achieved with the introduction of sustainable agricultural practices.
According to the report climate change is a major and growing threat to global food security and it warns that the population living in poverty could increase by between 35 and 122 million by 2030.
This it says is largely due to the negative impacts that climate change has on incomes in the agricultural sector. The increase in the number of poor would be the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa, partly because its population is more reliant on agriculture.
There is no simple “technological fix”, the report warns.
“What is needed is a reorientation of agricultural and rural development policies that resets incentives and lowers the barriers to the transformation of food and agricultural systems.”
According to the report particular attention should be given to supporting low-income smallholder farmers in strengthening their capacity to manage risks and adopt effective climate change adaptation strategies.
ELLANIE SMIT
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