The aim of this thesis is to present global risks and adaptations to climate change in the food system, with a focus on agriculture, as identified in the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In more detail, it will present the risks for Europe, partly also for Slovenia, and the adaptation options in the food system while maintaining food security.
The food system covers production, processing, transport and consumption, and I will present the different parts, with a focus on agriculture. According to projections, agriculture is facing a number of challenges: soil desertification, sea level rise, soil salinisation, increased incidence of diseases and pests, longer and more frequent droughts, floods and other extreme weather events. Warming has led to changes in plant phenology, which could lead to mismatches between plants, pollinators and pests. Plant distribution, nutrient content, the suitability of areas for their growth and the timing of key phenological phases such as flowering and insect emergence have also changed, affecting food quality and crop stability. In our country, the effects of climate change are already being felt, particularly in the form of major crop losses due to droughts and frosts.
If the current level of greenhouse gas emissions continues, food security will be further (or newly) threatened in some regions due to lower yields, unfavourable conditions for livestock or unhealthy conditions for agricultural workers. It is clear that the impacts of climate change can no longer be reversed, but we can adapt to some extent. The EEA mentions 3 types of climate change adaptation measures; grey measures (linked to technological solutions), green measures (introduction of new crops and tree species, restoration of wetlands), soft measures (linked to consumer habits, systems management and legislation).
I want to focus on identifying risks as a first step towards adaptation to achieve a more resilient society.
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