Discuss the consequences of climate change on the food security in tropical countries.

Question

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Climate change undermines food security in tropical countries by cutting crop and fish output, lowering farm incomes, reducing the nutrient value of staples and destabilising supplies. IRRI trials found rice yields fall about 10% for every 1°C rise in night temperature.

**Introduction**

Tropical countries farm near the heat limits of their crops and depend on seasonal rain, and FAO's SOFI reports place sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia far above the world average of undernourishment. Climate change strikes every pillar of their food security.

**Consequences for Food Availability in the Tropics**

SKETCH: flow | Climate to Hunger Chain
- Heat and erratic rain
- Yield and catch loss
- Supply shortfall
- Price spikes
- Hunger and malnutrition

1. **Heat-stressed crops**: Each 1°C rise in night temperature cut rice yields by about 10% in IRRI trials (2004), and the 2022 heatwave shrivelled India's wheat, forcing an export ban.
2. **Erratic rainfall**: Rain-fed farms fail when rains fail, as the Horn of Africa's five failed seasons (2020-23) showed.
3. **Pests and fisheries**: Unusual cyclone rains bred the 2019-20 desert locust upsurge from Kenya to Rajasthan, while marine heatwaves bleach the coral reefs that sustain tropical fish stocks.

**Consequences for Access, Nutrition and Stability**

1. **Falling incomes**: The Economic Survey 2017-18 estimated climate change could cut Indian farm incomes by 15-18%, and up to 25% in unirrigated areas, eroding the poor's ability to buy food.
2. **Hidden hunger**: Higher carbon dioxide lowers zinc, iron and protein in rice and wheat (Myers et al., 2014), while floods spread diarrhoeal disease that blocks absorption.
3. **Unstable supplies**: India's July 2023 curbs on non-basmati rice exports raised prices for import-dependent African buyers.

**Conclusion**

Climate change turns the tropics' food problem from occasional shortage into chronic insecurity across output, incomes, nutrition and markets. Climate-resilient seeds, irrigation, crop insurance and climate finance can protect SDG 2 of Zero Hunger in the countries whose emissions were lowest.

Discuss the consequences of climate change on the food security in tropical countries.

Model answer

Practise this question

Climate12 questions

Ghissu