Pachauri-led IPCC lauds initiative to build food security in face of climate change

Washington, May 7 (ANI): The Dr. R.K. Pachauri-led UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reportedly welcomed a new research initiative that focuses on how to build food security in the face of climate change.

One of the IPCC members, John R. Porter, said: "In the months and years to come, together with leading experts from the whole world, we will focus on developing tools to understand climate change with a view to making the world community ready to tackle the challenges we are facing. At the same time, Danish agricultural research will help contribute to solving the most important challenges in the future, climate change and food security."

Porter's views emerged after climate and agricultural researchers, policy makers, donors, and development agencies, both governmental and non-governmental, from all over the world met in Nairobi for a one-day conference, 'Building Food Security in the Face of Climate Change'.

The conclusion reached at the event was that climate change represents an immediate and unprecedented threat to the food security of hundreds of millions of people who depend on small-scale agriculture and natural resource management for their livelihoods.

It was assessed that agriculture and forestry also contribute to climate change because of greenhouse gas emissions and alterations to the land surface.

To facilitate new research on the interactions between climate change, agriculture, natural resource management and food security, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) have initiated a Mega Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). CCAFS will create unique possibilities in the search for solutions to climate change and food security problems.

"In order to secure better living conditions for the farmers, we need to find the right solutions to creating a stable food production that also takes into account the environment," said Torben Timmermann, Deputy Director for administration and communication at the CCAFS.

Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is a large-scale ten-year research initiative, which, from its start in 2010, will seek solutions to how to adapt the world's agricultural areas to different climates. (ANI)