Building Climate-Resilient Food Systems

Climate change, conflicts, and various crises have exposed the vulnerabilities of global food systems. Acute food insecurity and undernourishment have become more prevalent in recent times, and the imperative is to build more robust and sustainable food systems that do not adversely impact the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has only underlined the importance of food security in times of crises. This brief explores the promise of climate-smart agriculture in combating climate change and global food insecurity, and in nurturing sustainable food systems.Introduction ‘Global syndemics’ are pandemics that intersect with climate change, undernutrition, and obesity—posing a grave threat to human and planetary health. The global community could today be sitting amidst a syndemic. With the world’s population expected to reach 9.1 billion by 2050, the demand for food would exponentially grow, increasing the requirement for land for agricultural purposes, grazing land for livestock, and fertilisers and genetically modified crops. These heightened activities will have an impact on the health of the global environment.