Impact of climate change: food security, trade, agriculture & aid

Charlotte Hebebrand (July 2010)

Where: Washington, US

Chief Executive of the International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council, Charlotte Hebebrand, discusses the impact of climate change on food security and trade, particularly increased weather variability, and notes how slight warming will lead to big yield decreases. She predicts developing countries will increase food imports and insists on the need to focus on trade liberalisation within the Doha Round to "ensure availabilty of food in the future".  She emphasises that it's important to ensure policy coherence and raises the example of the Food Miles scenario, and the need to avoid serious trade disruption. She explores the imperative for international agreed food standards around carbon,  and how that might look and refers to the Codex Alimentarius. She notes that the differing advantages developed and developing countries may have. She finishes on discussing the "worrying" shift away from agricultural aid and how adaptation and agriculture are crucial to food security, but that sustained financing is required.