Thread by @OWC93

We often talk in terms of future projections, but here's the thing: climate change is already driving major increases in food insecurity and malnutrition. A short #IPCC report🧵

"Increasing weather and climate extreme events have exposed millions of people to acute food insecurity (food insecurity with a severity that threatens lives, livelihoods or both)."

Food production is already constrained by changing weather conditions.

"Although overall agricultural productivity has increased, climate change has slowed this growth over the past 50 years globally, with related negative impacts mainly in mid- and low latitude regions..."

"Ocean warming and ocean acidification have adversely affected food production from fisheries and shellfish aquaculture in some oceanic regions."

And, yes - food insecurity will only get worse as we continue down this path.

"Climate-driven food insecurity and supply instability are projected to increase with increasing global warming, interacting with non-climatic risk drivers such as competition for land between urban expansion and food production, pandemics and conflict."

But food systems interventions remain a powerful tool to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

"Many agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) options provide adaptation and mitigation benefits that could be upscaled in the near-term across most regions."

"Adaptation can generate multiple additional benefits such as improving agricultural productivity, innovation, health and wellbeing, food security, livelihood, and biodiversity conservation."

Here's a graphic showing the feasibility of climate responses and adaptation, and potential of mitigation options in the near term. These are high-potential, high-impact interventions, ready to deploy now.

"Demand-side measures (shifting to sustainable healthy diets and reducing food loss/waste) and sustainable agricultural intensification can reduce ecosystem conversion, and methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and free up land for reforestation and ecosystem restoration."

"Sustainably sourced agricultural and forest products...can be used instead of more GHG-intensive products in other sectors. Effective adaptation options include cultivar improvements, agroforestry, community-based adaptation, farm and landscape diversification, and urban ag..."

And, crucially: "Human health will benefit from integrated mitigation and adaptation options that mainstream health into food, infrastructure, social protection, and water policies."

So, right now we are "walking when we should be sprinting." That must end now.

Here's our original Tweet thread:

https://twitter.com/GAINalliance/status/1638479832458711040?s=20

And check out our @GAINalliance infographic on links between environment, climate change and nutrition here: gainhealth.org/resources/repo…