ADB Report Highlights Threat of Climate Change to Food Security
13 September 2011: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a report titled "Food Security and Climate Change in the Pacific: Rethinking the Options," which highlights the threats posed by climate change to food security in the Pacific region unless urgent action is taken.
In the report, the ADB notes that rising temperatures and rising tides due to climate change could limit food supply in the Pacific. The report calls on Pacific States to increase local food production, such as of climate-resistant crops or new crops, crop varieties, or technologies in order to increase the resilience of communities and their agriculture.
Highlighting that during the last 45 years, the growing population has increasingly become dependent on imported food, the report urges a shift and increased investment in agricultural research and development, as well as training in areas such as plant breeding and resource management.
Finally, the report underscores the need for national planning and policies to take climate change into account. It also emphasizes the need for infrastructure to be climate-proofed for the benefit of food security. [ADB Press Release] [Publication: Food Security and Climate Change in the Pacific: Rethinking the Options]