EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE

AND FOOD SUSTAINABILITY

by

Oluwaseun Abimbola AKINRINMADE

2021/36298

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 OUTLINE
 WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE
 INDICATORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
 ADVERSE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
 IMPORTANCE OF ADRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE
 DISADVANTAGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
 UNDERSTANDING AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE
 UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILTY
 UNDERSTANDING AGRICULTURE SUSTAINABILITY
 POSSIBLE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THEIR EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE
 ROLES OF AGRICULTURE IN FOOD SECURITY
 IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
 CASE STUDY
 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
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WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

 Climate changes refers to long term change in average weather pattern that have come
to define Earth’s local, regional, and global climate. (NASA, 2024).

 Local because it starts locally first

 Regional because it extends over a long distance with time

 Global because it extend across the world and becomes constant over time.

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 INDICATORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
A. RISING GLOBAL TEMPERATURES
One of the most significant indicators of climate change is the rise in global
temperatures. Higher temperatures lead to more intense and frequent
heatwaves, storms, droughts, and heavy rainfall.

B. MELTING ICE CAPS AND GLACIERS

Another critical indicator of climate change is the accelerated melting of ice
caps and glaciers. Polar regions, such as Greenland and Antarctica, have
experienced unprecedented melting of ice. Ice caps and glaciers are melting at
an accelerating rate due to climate change. `

C. CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION PATTERNS

Changes in precipitation patterns is another vital indicator of climate change. In
some areas where rainfall is becoming less predictable, farmers may struggle to
plan planting and harvesting schedules effectively.
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Fig 1 : Indicators of Climate Change

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 High Temperature (Todorovic Severe Storm (Suda 2021)
2022) )

Drought (Gouin 2018) Warning Rising Ocean (Ramirez

Fig 2 : Diagram showing indicators of climate change, High Temp. (Todorovic,2018)
2022), Severe storm (Suda, 2021), (Drought
Gouin, 2018), Warming rising ocean (Ramirez, 2018). 6
 ADVERSE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

1 3 4
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1. Here, animals wont be able to adapt to the new condition.

2. Here, no enough food due to droughts.

3. Here, more health risk due to higher temperatures and extreme weather that contribute to
health issues and spreads vector-borne diseases.

4. Here, poverty and displacement due to natural disaster, food shortages force people to
migrate.

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 IMPORTANCE OF ADRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

.
A. Impact on ecosystems
Climate change disrupts ecosystems, forcing species to adapt, migrate or face extinction. Biodiversity
loss weakens ecosystems, affecting food webs and essential services like pollination and water
purification. Agriculture also suffers as crops depend on diverse pollinators and healthy soil organisms.
(Tansley 1935)
B. Economic Implication
Climate change threatens economies, especially agriculture, by reducing crop yields and increasing
pests and diseases. Farmers face high costs for adaptation, leading to economic strain and instability,
Shifts in temperature and rainfall lowers producutivity, causing food price increases and food
insecurity. (Mendelsohn et al, 1994)
C. Social and health consideration
Climate change has significant social and health impacts, particularly on vulnerable populations in
developing [Link] leads to food insecurity, malnutrition, and displacement, causing migration
pressures and social tensions. (Lainlake et al, 2018)

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 DISADVANTAGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
• THREATS OF BIODIVERSITY
Climate change threatens global biodiversity by disrupting habitats, leaving many species unable
to adapt. The loss of biodiversity weakens essential ecosystem services like pollination, pest
controls, and soil fertility, leading to lower crop yields and greater reliance on harmful chemicals,
worsening environmental degradation. (Mrema, 2022)

• INCREASED FOOD INSECURITY

Climate change drives food insecurity by making agricultural systems more unpredictable,
reducing food production. Vulnerable populations, especially smallholder farmers, are at high risk
as they lack resources to adapt and rely on traditional farming methods that are no longer
effective.` (Parry,1999)

• ECONOMIC LOSSES IN AGRICULTURE

Climate change has significant economic impacts on agriculture, increasing costs for farmers who
must invest in adaptive technologies, improved infrastructure, and more resilient crops. . (Lippert,
2021)
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 UNDERSTANDING AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising animals for food, fiber, and
other products. It has been vital to human civilization, starting with the Neolithic revolution, and is a
significant economic sector(Tony,2010), employing about 1billion people world wide.
It also has deep cultural importance, influencing traditions and festivals.

There are different types of agriculture, including subsistence agriculture and commercial agriculture.

Subsistence agriculture refers to farming systems where farmers grow food primarily for their own
consumption rather than for sale in market. This type of agriculture often practiced in developing
countries and can include, smallholders farms and diversity of crops
Commercial agriculture focuses on producing crops and livestock for scale in local, national and
international markets. This type of agriculture is characterized by scale and use of technology
(Mayhew,2015) .

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 UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY

 According to United Nations (1987), sustainability has been defined as the practice of
meeting present needs without compromising the ability of generations to come of meeting
the same need.

 Sustainability thinks about well being of future generation (yet unborn).

 Sustainability actually focuses on balancing environmental, social and economic factors to

ensure long-term well being for people and the planet at large (Bruntland, 1987).

 Sustainability is achieved when all people on earth can live well without compromising the
quality of life for future generations (yet unborn).

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 UNDERSTANDING AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
 This is agricultural farming in such a way to protect the environment, aid and expand natural resources and
to make the best use of non-renewable resources. (National Academies Press 2010), not only for the present
but also for future generation.

 Agricultural Sustainability tend to achieve these 4 goals (National Academies Press 2010)
1. satisfy human food
2. Enhance environmental quality
3. Sustain the economic viability of agriculture
4. Enhance the quality of life for farmers
5. Prepare and preserve the present agricultural system for future generations
Agricultural sustainability emphasizes on how to protect the agricultural soil, farmland, as well as practices in
such a manner that future generation yet to be born would have the ability to meet the same need when their time
comes. This is because once these need are met in this present days, and no provision is made for future
generation to meet the same need, there is going to be what is generally referred to as “sustainability gap”.

Climate change in this present time should not be allowed to affect agricultural practices.

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 POSSIBLE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THEIR EFFECTS ON AGRICULTURE

 Changes in temperature
Higher temperatures reduce crop yields, cause
heat stress in livestock, and alter growing
seasons, leading to potential crop failures.

Figure 3: Soyabeans showing the effect of drought, (Bob-Nichols 2013)

 AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE (CONTD.)

 Altered Rainfall pattern

Shifts in precipitation patterns result in more
frequent droughts and floods, impacting soil
moisture, irrigation, and harvest timing. These
changes can be caused by climate change,
urbanization and other human activities.

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Fig 4: Diagram showing altered rainfall pattern,(Madley, 2024)
 AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE (CONTD.)
 Extreme weather events

Flooding, hailstorms, and heatwaves can cause

significant damage to crops, leading to crop losses and
economic hardship for farmers. An extreme weather
event is a rare, severe weather condition that occurs at
an unusual time and place, extreme weather events can
have devastating impacts on communities, agriculture
and natural ecosystems.

Fig 5: Effect of hailstorm 15

on the plant,(Justin, 2020)
 ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN FOOD SECURITY

FOOD PRODUCTION
Agriculture is a primary source of food production. Ensuring that agricultural systems are resilient and
productive is essential for meeting the growing global demand for food.

ECONOMIC STABILITY
Agriculture sectors contribute to national economies, providing livelihoods for millions of people.
Strong agricultural systems enhance economic stability and reduce poverty.

NUTRITIONAL DIVERSITY
Diverse agricultural practices contribute to a wide range of food options, improving nutritional outcomes
and dietary diversity for populations.

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 IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Water Scarcity
Climate change can lead to limited water availability for irrigation, hence negatively impacting crop
production (World Bank, 2022)

Soil Degradation
Climate change could bring about change in precipitation pattern, hence causing soil erosion and reduce
fertility, hence negatively impacting crop growth, hence reduce agricultural yields and threatening food
production. (World Bank, 2022)

Accessibility to Food
Reduced food production due to climate change can lead to rise in food prices, hence making food less
accessible to vulnerable population. (World Bank, 2022)

Stability
Natural disasters, pandemics, and conflicts disrupt food supply chains, can lead to the death of several farm
animals, leading to hunger and instability. (World Bank, 2022) 17
 IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY (cont’d)

Pests and Disease Outbreak

Warmer temperature can favour the spread of pests and diseases, thus affecting crops and
livestock, leading to significant losses in agricultural production (World Bank, 2022)

Environmental impact
Overuse of natural resources (soil, water, biodiversity) and excessive food waste harm
ecosystems and reduce future food production capacity.

Food systems transformation

Reducing food waste, promoting plant-based diets, and supporting local food systems enhance
sustainability while ensuring food security.

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 CASE STUDY 1
GURUGRAM, INDIA (Inani and Jazeera, 2019)
Gurugram is a technology business hub, located
south of Indian Capital, New Delhi.

It has lots of empty plots of land that once

contained fertile green fields but now, it is mostly
barren and dotted with cranes, towering over
unfinished buildings.

Some of the land masses have been subjected to

intense temperature rise such that the farmlands have
turned into several meters of mud cracks which
cannot be easily cultivated.

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 CLIMATE CHANGE IN GURUGRAM

 City without plan – Gurugram is a

community created without planning. The
most polluted community in the World –
(India Today Magazine, 2019)
 Urban Heat – heat here has increases
temperature by 11 degree Celsius over the
past 20 years.
 Water Scarcity – reduced green plants and
reduction in water due to population
increase causing drought
 Air pollution- large population
contributing to high emission of gasses in
the atmosphere via vehicular movement

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 CASE STUDY 2

KEBBI STATE, NIGERIA (OKAFOR 2022)

 Affected Tangua and Gehuru village of Jega
Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
 Large farming communities and has produced
millions of tons of food to the state
 Flooding of farmland due to continuous
raining for several days have cause a lot of
damage to agricultural arable crops.
 It has also rendered farmers in these places
homeless.

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 CASE STUDY 3

COLORADO, USA
 Daisy Dunes (2025) reported that climate
change caused a lot of wildfire occurrence
which destroys farmlands, timbers and
agroresources in Colorado

 A wildfire can be defined as any type of

uncontrolled fire that is spreading across wild
land. Grassland, pit land and farmland, forests.

 Globally, wildfires have many impacts on

humans, wildlife and economy.

 When it destroys farmlands, there is a

reduction in the food production for that years
as well as loss of farm animals. 22
 CONCLUSIONS
 Climate change represents one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century, with profound
implications on agriculture, food sustainability, and human well—being.
 This seminar has explored the intricate relationship between climate change and agriculture,
emphasizing how changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, soil health, and water availability
directly impact global food production.
 Government should, as a matter of policy, come up with measures that would reduce the effect of
climate change on farmlands generally.
 Every form of climate change alteration by artificial means should be discouraged. For instance,
cloud seeding which is a common practice in developed nations of the world should be done
discretely.
 Agricultural sustainability should be of paramount importance to government at all levels,
government agencies as well as stakeholders in the agricultural sector

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 RECOMMENDATIONS
 Enhancing Research: Invest in interdisciplinary research to better understand the geological and
climatic factors affecting agriculture.
 Sustainable Practices: Promote sustainable agricultural practices that improve soil health, conserve
water, and reduce emissions.
 Climate—Resilient Crops: Develop and distribute crop varieties adapted to changing climatic
conditions.
 Policy frameworks: Advocate for policies that integrate climate adaptation and mitigation
strategies into national and global food systems.
 Education Awareness: Increase public awareness about the impacts of climate change on
agriculture and the importance of sustainable practices.

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 REFERENCES
 FAO. (2021). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021.
Rome: FAO.
 IPCC. (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge
University Press.
 Inani and Jazera(2019). Gurugram
 Lal, R. (2004). Soil Carbon Sequestration Impacts on Global Climate Change
and Food Security. Science, 304(5677), 1623–1627.
 NASA. (2024). Climate Change: Evidence and Causes. Available at:
[Link]
 Okafor (2022). Kebbi state , Nigeria.
 Nations. (1987). Climate Action for Agriculture. UN Climate Change
Secretariat.
 Tony (2020). Climate Change and Agriculture. Washington, DC: USDA.
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THANKS FOR LISTENING

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