"Climate Change Impacts on Crop Productivity in Africa And South Asia" - Article Analysis Essay

Introduction

Climate change is a very crucial area that requires special attention and focus. Renewed efforts towards curbing the negative impacts of climate change are also vital in protecting the climate. Food security is one of the affected areas as a result of climate change. In this paper, I will be discussing the interaction between climate change and food security. Furthermore, I will give an insight into articles covering the same and offer my point of view towards the same.

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A Review of "Climate Change Impacts on Crop Productivity in Africa And South Asia"

According to the above article, there is still a persisting challenge concerning food security despite the global rise in food production. The projected world population is 9 billion by the year 2050, which has to be fed by crop production. Furthermore, this expected population relies on food despite the ongoing climate change experienced around the globe(Knox, Hess, Daccache, & Wheeler, 2012).

The authors also suggest that Sub-Saharan Africa is among the most vulnerable regions. The reason is that the area contains the highest percentage of malnourished people in the world. The region is further characterized by significant dependence on agriculture to grow their national economies. Also, these countries are characterized by overreliance on rainfed systems, and failure of the rains typically causes disasters such as poor harvest. Most of the farming strategies used are outdated and often fail (Knox, Hess, Daccache, & Wheeler, 2012). Eventually, most of the land under agriculture is small due to fragmentation. As such, there is low production hence increased focus on subsistence rather than cash crop farming.

According to the article, the rural poor are the most likely group to be affected by climate change. The reason is because of dependence on farming as a source of livelihood. Moreover, the fact that they have limited access to technological know-how and modern farming techniques puts them at a higher risk of adapting to the changing climate. Indeed, to alleviate the developing climatic situation, there is a need for substantial investments from governments, development agencies, and farmers (Knox, Hess, Daccache, & Wheeler, 2012). Through the development of policies that promote such investments, food security, especially in vulnerable areas, can be enhanced.

Discussion

Climatic changes pose a massive threat to global food security. As stated in the article, various regions in the world are more vulnerable. From my point of view, I concur that Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the global areas that will face the highest impact of climate change. There are various components of food security, which are availability, access, and utilization. However, the aspect of availability will experience the immediate effect, and this can be attributed to the fact that there will be changes in agricultural productivity (Reliefweb, 2013). This component is affected by many aspects of climate change, including variation in the amount of rainfall, temperature changes, and the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Still, differences in the climatic extremes put food availability at an even more vulnerable position (Environmental Protection Agency, 2016).

The loss of arable land in the Sub-Saharan region occurs because of climate change. The decline can be attributed to the effects of climate change. Such a loss is characterized by decreased rainfall, reduced yields, and increased temperatures. The yields of crops such as sorghum, maize, and rice are most likely to reduce due to increased temperatures. Due to climate variability, the yields have been on the decrease yearly as their production is greatly affected by the changing climatic conditions.

Food accessibility is the other channel through which food security can be understood. It merely relates to the ability of people to get food in the required quantities and quality. Due to some significant factors such as high poverty levels, poor market access, and high food prices, food accessibility is limited. Other factors like educational status, property rights, and employment conditions have played significant roles in limiting food accessibility (Environmental Protection Agency, 2016).

It is not to say that other parts of the world are not affected by the changing climate. However, the most affected regions include Africa and parts of Asia, which are mostly underdeveloped. Food utilization is also part of food security but is majorly affected at a secondary stage. There is a need for policy interventions to curb the effect of climate change. First, climate may have adverse effects on the people if not contained. As said earlier, most African countries have experienced growing economies, but with the ever-increasing human population, there is a need to review the systems in place (Rugalema, 2016). There is a need for food systems and agriculture to adapt to climatic changes and develop appropriate measures. Part of the solution is the employment of technology in water conservation and irrigation. Some of the other adaptive measures include the use of drought-resistant crops. Minimizing soil disturbance and also the use of certified seeds (Environmental Protection Agency, 2016).

Conclusion

A change of food systems and the development of measures towards ensuring food security is no longer a choice. The employment of better farming techniques is crucial in ensuring food security. Climate change is an ongoing matter, and a proper focus towards adaptive measures is vital in dealing with the global issue. There is much that needs to be done if there are any chances of changing the situation. However, through integration beyond national boundaries, a lot can be done to reduce the already-existing impacts of climate change.

References

Environmental Protection Agency. (2016, October 6). Climate Impacts on Agriculture and Food Supply. Retrieved January 5, 2020, from Environmental Protection Agency: https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply_.html

Knox, J., Hess, T., Daccache, A., & Wheeler, T. (2012, September 14). Climate change impacts on crop productivity in Africa and South Asia. Environmental Research Letters, 7(3), 1-9. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034032

Reliefweb. (2013, October 1). The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2013: The multiple dimensions of food security. Retrieved January 5, 2020, from Reliefweb: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/state-food-insecurity-world-2013-multiple-dimensions-food-security

Rugalema, G. (2016, October 14). Climate change is a threat to food security and needs rapid action. Retrieved January 5, 2020-, from Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/kenya/news/detail-events/en/c/447088/