LiveScience.com Wolchover, little mysteries Staff Writer Natalie life.
LiveScience.com - Tue May 31, 1: 51 pm EST
Left unchecked, climate change aligned with the population explosion and low agricultural yields will significantly increase poverty and hunger in the next two decades, prevents international aid agency Oxfam in a report published today (May 31).
The prices of the staples such as rice and corn will accelerate their rise, predicts Oxfam and will increase 180% and 130%, respectively, by the year 2030.
In a world where the poor people now spend as much as 80% of their income on food - average philippine spends proportionately four times more on subsistence than average British person, for example - drastic food shortages and price increases cause probably many people who have difficulties on hunger and, potentially, the famine.
In its new report, pushing a better future, Oxfam said current trends indicate that world population will reach 9 billion by 2050. During this time, the average growth rate of agricultural yields decreased almost by half since 1990. Left unchecked, the gap between supply and demand for food will continue to grow.
"The food system must be transformed." By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet and the demand for food will have increased by 70%. This application must satisfy despite yields give us, increasing water scarcity and increasing competition on land. "Agriculture must quickly adapt to climate change and reduce its carbon footprint" wrote Robert Bailey, Oxfam senior climate Advisor, in the report.
Climate change has already been raised food prices in many areas, causing drought and desertification, Oxfam and all reports the factors contributing to the increase in food prices, it will create more serious impact in the coming decades.
"The impact of climate change on the prices of foodstuffs is clearly closely related to the impacts of climate change on agricultural production, will have" wrote Bailey. Rice yields declined by about 10% for every 1 degree Celsius rise of dry season minimum temperature, for example.
Outside of raising global temperatures, climate change "will increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, floods and droughts that can destroy crops with a stroke", the report indicates.
The pricing system.
Poverty is powered by a broken system in which rich countries take advantage of poor States, Oxfam. To curb the problem, the international community must address "the appalling inequality that undermine the food system from farm to fork." We produce more food that we need.?In rich countries, discard us a large part of it. In the developing world, nearly a billion of us go without. ?
Industrialized countries must launch major policy changes to fix the broken system, Oxfam continues. They should redirect tax relief to clean energy initiatives and place taxes on greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, "we must manage trade to manage the risk that constructing a system of reserves;" increase the transparency of commodity markets; define rules on export restrictions. and finally put an end to agricultural subsidies that distort trade.
The new report highlights examples of changes that must be undertaken to combat hunger and poverty in the world. In the Brazil, social activism led to agricultural policies that reduce hunger by a third between 2000 and 2007. Viet Nam obtained results comparable with agrarian reform and a programme of investment in agriculture smallholder - single-family agriculture.
"Fortunately, the great transformation necessary is already in progress - led by individuals, organizations and movements who have taken the future in their hands," the report States.
This article was provided by small mysteries of life, a sister site to LiveScience.?Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @ nattyover.
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