GLOBAL CLIMATE AND FOOD SECURITY

Assignment 1 - The Impact of Climate Change on Population Growth and Food Security (220 points) The United Nations has hired you as a consultant, and your task is to assess the impact that global warming is expected to have on population growth and the ability of societies in the developing world to ensure the adequate security of their food supplies. Case Assessment As the world's population nears 10 billion by 2050, the effects of global warming are stripping some natural resources from the environment. As they diminish in number, developing countries, in particular, will face mounting obstacles to improving the livelihoods of their citizens and stabilizing their access to sufficient amounts of food. The reason these governments are struggling even now is that our climate influences their economic health and the consequent diminishing living standards of their peoples.

Running head: GLOBAL CLIMATE AND FOOD SECURITY
GLOBAL CLIMATE AND FOOD SECURITY
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Introduction
Malancha (2016) states that climate change is one of the leading factors causing food
security challenges especially in the developing countries. According to studies, a large section
of the developing countries suffer from acute cases of under nutrition and the situation is further
complicated owing to the growth of population and the receding farmlands owing to rapid
urbanization. The growing rate of urbanization also signifies extensive deforestation leading to
climate change and global warming. Studies indicates that as the global population is nearing 10
billion by 2050, there is greater risk of resource management and more added stress on the planet
(Harvey et al, 2018). Research shows that climate change will affect availability, accessibility,
utilization and lastly the food system stability. Furthermore, it will have a direct impact on the
human health, food production and distribution channel and market(Harvey et al, 2018).. The
following is an assessment of the impact of global warming on population growth and to ensure
food security among the developing nations.
1. What are greenhouse gases and how do they contribute to global warming?
Harvey et al.(2018) state that greenhouse gases are composed of carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and the fluorinated gases which are some of the most potent
and toxic gases, and are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer. The greenhouse gases is
the primary reason for climate change and global warming.
Global warming refers to the phenomenon which indicates the melting of polar ice caps
owing to the rise in temperature and the overall warming of the planet, climate changes and
natural disasters in the world. The greenhouse gases can remain in the atmosphere for a long
time as it is difficult to breakdown (Harvey et al, 2018). These gases envelop the earth surface,

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not allowing the other gases pass in to the atmosphere. This thickening of blanket around the
earth atmosphere retains the heat which leads to warmer climate and melting of the polar icecaps.
The chlorofluorocarbons, halons and hydro chlorofluorocarbons additionally depletes the ozone
layer by reacting with it. The earth is covered by a thin blanket of air called the ozone layer and
the depletion of the ozone layer allows the entry of harmful radiation of the sun and further
increases the global warming phenomenon (Harvey et al, 2018).
2. What kinds of economic challenges do these emissions pose to the people of the
developing world?
Malancha (2016) is of the opinion that most of the developing countries are have an agrarian
economy which means that most of these countries depend on their agricultural production for
their sustenance. Studies indicate that the emission has a direct effect on the environment which
consequently affects the weather. The change in weather has a direct biophysical effect on the
production of the crops. A study conducted shows there is a plausible estimate of these climate
change affects the economic structure of these countries significantly. The biophysical shocks
derived from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed 17% reduction in crop
yield by 2050 globally (Malancha, 2016). The reduction in crop production means that a lower
amount of crops will be exported which means that the economy will take a direct hit.
In many developing places such as India which has an agrarian economy is already facing
severe draught due to the emissions this has reduced the economy of the country significantly
(Malancha, 2016). Studies state that the economy of Nigeria will be affected negatively through
reduced agricultural productivity, increased rate of mortality due to increase in illness (Lamidi,
2019). Department for International development (DFID) conducted a study on the effects of
climate change on Nigeria and it showed that the emissions would cost Nigeria from 6 percent

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and 30 percent of its GDP by 2050 which would cost the country between $100 billion to $640
billion (Burley et al, 2019). Furthermore, these emissions signify a higher mortality rate of the
various livestock such as pigs, poultry and increase of rodents by 15% every year. Thus reducing
the investment profits in the industry by at least 20%. A reduction such as this will be severely
challenging for the developing countries (Lamidi, 2019). Additionally, the emissions cause
severe land degradation, loss of biodiversity, irregular rainfall patterns which means reduction in
natural resources such as water and food thus increasing the cost of living in the developing
countries another challenge for the developing countries (Burley et al, 2019).
3.What is food insecurity and what is the relationship between it and population growth?
A case study conducted in Bangladesh showed that population growth welcomed food
insecurity in the country. Developing countries such as India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and others
have few common characteristics that defines the socio-economic structure of the country
(Mondal et al,2019). Statistics show that 12.9 percentage of population is malnourished in the
developing countries and about 3.5 million of children under five die out of malnutrition each
year. The rapid rate of urbanization gives rise to severe urban inequalities thus leading to a food
insecurity in these countries. Statistics indicate that the population of Bangladesh doubled
between 1980 and 2015 which signifies doubled stress on the natural resources such as water,
land and food. The rising population means more farm lands are being converted to urban
accommodation further reducing the possibilities of livestock and food production (Mondal et al,
2019).
Additionally, the environment changes brought by the emission of greenhouse gases has
declined in the production of rice and wheat which are the stable food crops of most developing
nations. This means that there is shortage of crops and grains that leads to the increasing food

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prices and reduces the food security for the poorest section of the society (Balint et al, 2017).
The uncontrolled population growth signifies that more needs are to be met to get the basic food
security. However if the country is unable to produce the minimum crop and natural resources it
minimizes the food security of the country.
4. What role do developing world governments play in aggravating food insecurity?
The world governments play an important role in aggravating the food insecurity in the world.
The effects of globalization, subsidies and barriers in trading was causing the deduction in
agricultural prices all over the world, which meant that the poor farmers of the developing
countries were affected the worst in the process. The world government policies transferred the
profits to the developed countries which meant that the rich farmers made more profits while the
poor farmers were forced into debt and poverty. The campaigns such as “Make Trade Fair” by
Oxfam helped to draw attention to the flawed system that caused deep food security concerns
(Smith et al, 2017).
The international trade negotiations have never been exercised to aid the food insecurity.
The first attempt of world government was to eliminate food insecurity was launched in 1986 at
Punta del Este called the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations which had elaborate rules and
regulations however was never materialized ( Smith, 2017). The main problem is that it fails to
notice the local issues which are very different in the developing nations where the conflict is
stark.
Moreover, the failure to adhere to the global environment policies is also causing further
deterioration to the developing countries such as India which fails to have environmental
governance. According to the 2018 Global Environment Performance Index (EPI) rankings
conducted by Yale University shows that they have failed to improve air quality, reduce

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greenhouse emission and protect its biodiversity. The lack of implementation of the rules also is
a leading cause for aggravating food insecurity. Studies also show that the conflict affected areas
such as Afghanistan, Gaza, Syria a seriously affected by food crisis the conflicts are majorly the
fault of the world governance and conflicting political ideologies.
5. What factors specifically interrupt the flow of food from its sources to populations
in the developing world?
Mondal et al (2019) states that climate and weather conditions can increase conflicts and can
interrupt the flow of food. The recent climate changes has seen a drastic decrease in the ground
water levels and changing rainfall patterns have resulted in the failure of crops. On the other
hand excessive rain has caused floods which has also led to the disruption of food flow
(Neethling, 2017). For example, in Mali owing to its semi-arid and desert climate triggers a lot of
conflicts among the farmers who fight for the resources and deprived of food (Lamidi, 2019).
The government also fails to provide the humanitarian aids from various international
agencies and funds are often never invested in the right place and absorbed by the corruption
within the government system. Adulteration in foods, such as adding glass particles to sugar,
small pebbles in rice is common issues in many developing nations such as India, Pakistan,
Ethiopia further stops people from accessing food (Malik, 2019). Adding to this the lack of
political stability also disrupts the food distribution chain and the recent outbreak of various life
threatening diseases leading to death reduces the food production and disrupts the food supply
considerably.

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Conclusion
The global warming is one the major changes that will have a long lasting and deep
impact in the food security of the developing nations. It is very important to understand the
gravity of the situation that the future 2050 can be facing. There are so many factors that is
responsible for the current situation and should be taken care of for a better future.

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Reference
Balint, T., Lamperti, F., Mandel, A., Napoletano, M., Roventini, A., & Sapio, A. (2017).
Complexity and the economics of climate change: a survey and a look forward.
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Chakrabarty, M. (2016). Climate Change and Food Security in India. Observer Research
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Harvey, L. D. (2018). Global warming. Routledge.
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