Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
    • Podcasts
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • October 2016
10

Agricultural 'climate-smart' practices needed

Open-access content Thursday 20th October 2016 — updated 5.50pm, Wednesday 29th April 2020

New policies must be adopted to avoid volatile food prices and declining food security, according to a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report.

2


'The State of food and Agriculture 2016' reveals that poorer countries are the most vulnerable to the risks of climate change, but that the affects could be felt everywhere.

It states that agriculture must contribute more to combating climate change in addition to preparing for its potential impact.

FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, said: "What climate change does is to bring back uncertainties from the time we were all hunter gatherers.

"We cannot assure any more that we will have the harvest we have planted."

The report suggests that a 'business as usual' approach could put millions more people at risk of hunger, particularly those who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Most affected would be populations in poor areas in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia, however beyond 2030, negative pressures on food production will be increasingly felt everywhere.

Scientific evidence shows that 'climate-smart' practices such as the use of nitrogen-efficient crop varieties would reduce the number of people at risk of undernourishment by more than 100 million.

Additional methods such as zero-tillage and integrated soil fertility management could also boost productivity and farmers' incomes.

However, the overhauling of farming and food systems is predicted to be complex due to the vast number off stakeholders involved, the multiplicity of farming and food processing systems, and differences in ecosystems.

Yet the report emphasises efforts must be made to implement changes sooner rather than later as the adverse impacts of climate change will only worsen with time.

"The benefits of adaptation outweigh the costs of inaction by very wide margins," Graziano da Silva added.

"2016 should be about putting commitments into action."

Earlier this year 'The Global Risks Report 2016', produced by the World Economic Forum, revealed that the effects of climate change are currently on course to result in a 20% increase in crop prices by 2050 and 70 million extra people to feed by 2030.

Graziano da Silva noted that agriculture would be high on the agenda at the UNFCCC's 22nd Conference of the Parties in Morocco starting November 7. 

This article appeared in our October 2016 issue of The Actuary.
Click here to view this issue
Filed in:
10

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Senior Underwriting Risk Manager

London (Central)
£85K-£95K + Benefits
Reference
124386

Reserving Manager (Contract)

London (Central)
£1200 - £1400 per day
Reference
124385

Life Actuary - Contract - IFRS 17 Financial Impact

England, London / England, Bristol / North Yorkshire, England
£900 - £1150 per day
Reference
124384
See all jobs »
 
 

Today's top reads

 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2022 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ