Oxfam Highlights Critical Lessons Learned in IPCC Report

The latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change – the leading body for the assessment of global climate change – has gained a lot of attention for its strong language and concern about the future of food security and social instability. Scientists from all over the world contributed their findings and suggestions in this lengthy report, which Oxfam has distilled into five poignant lessons learned and takeaways on the future of hunger and climate change.

1. Climate change: the impacts on crops are worse than we thought.

Climate change has already meant declines in global yields of staple crops, and it is set to get worse.

Not so long ago, some people suggested crops could actually grow better because of climate change. Not any more. The IPCC is clear that we are already seeing the effect of climate change on food production. That will come as no surprise to farmers like Vladimir or Auntie Jacoba. But what is more striking is that the IPCC finds that climate change has meant significant declines not just in some areas in developing countries, but in aggregate global yields for staple crops like wheat and maize. Harvests will continue to be hit hard in the future, both in developing countries and in major crop exporters, at the same time as demand for crops is expected to rise rapidly. That doesn’t add up to a more food secure future for our planet.

2. Climate change also means higher food prices for most people.

Most people will feel the impact of climate change on food through the price they pay at their local market or supermarket.

In the years since the last IPCC report, there have been 3 global food price spikes, each linked in part to extreme weather that hit harvests hard. The IPCC gives a cautious estimate that food prices may rise due to climate change by 3-84% by 2050. Oxfam expects food prices to approximately double by 2030, with around half due to climate change, with further spikes linked to extreme weather to come on top of that. That’s a massive problem for anyone spending upwards of 50% of their income on food, but increasingly we’ll all feel the pinch of higher prices for things like premium coffee or chocolate.

Check out Oxfam’s GROW to read the other takeaways including predictions of hunger, the need for adaptation and the dangers of greenhouse gases.