17/06/2005 - According
to a recent study by the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the
International Institute of Applied Systems
Analysis (IIASA), global warming will likely
lead to an increase in arid lands in the developing
world, greatly impacting the world’s food
supply.
The FAO/IIASA study indicates that the developing
world would lose 11% of the land that is farmable,
resulting in huge declines in cereal production.
According to the study, “sixty-five developing
countries, representing more than half the
developing world’s total population in 1995,
will lose about 280 million tons of potential
cereal production as a result of climate change.”
This loss, valued at an average of US$200
per ton, totals US$56 billion, equivalent
to some 16% of the agricultural gross domestic
product of these countries in 1995.
The study also states that potential (future)
wheat production in the sub-tropics is expected
to be the worst affected by global warming,
with significant declines anticipated in Africa,
South Asia, and Latin America.
According to WWF’s Climate Change Research
Scientist, Michael Case: "Climate change
impacts are happening now and are affecting
real people. We now see the discussion moving
to questions like how to deal with the worst
impacts, how much it will cost, and how many
people will be worse off. Action is needed.”
Source:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), Report of the 31st Session
of the Committee on World Food Security (Rome,
23-26 May 2005).
