10 Nov 09 - IISS Workshop - Climate Change, Food and Security

On Tuesday 10 November 2009 the IISS hosted a roundtable on ‘Climate Change: Impacts on Food and Security - Long-term strategic planning in a warming climate'. The event, which took place in London, saw the participation of over 20 international representatives from government agencies, research and academic institutions, and NGOs.

IISS Transatlantic Dialogue on Climate Change and Security

Roundtable

'Climate Change: Impacts on Food and Security 

Long-term strategic planning in a warming climate' 

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Arundel House

13–15 Arundel Street

Temple Place

London WC2R 3DX

United Kingdom

The Programme is supported by The European Commission

On Tuesday, 10 November, the IISS hosted a roundtable on ‘Climate Change, Food and Security’.  This workshop was part of the Transatlantic Dialogue on Climate Change and Security, a programme funded by the European Commission which looks a long-term planning for a warming climate.  The event, which took place at Arundel House in London, included participants from over 25 international representatives from government agencies, research and academic institutions, and NGOs.

Because of the nature of climate change – in that its effects overlap with many other security threats – defense and intelligence agencies have begun to look very closely at how climate change will impact their security. This workshop comes at a time of heightened awareness of the looming problems of food security. The urgency of this year’s work is based on the memory of global increases in food prices throughout 2007 and 2008. In the two years from June 2006 until June 2008, food prices increased by more than 75%.

As Dr. Gerald Nelson of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) made clear in his opening presentation, climate change presents difficult problems for ensuring food security.  It will change the location of the most productive arable land, it will alter rainfall patterns, it will increase volatility, and – on balance – it will decrease the world’s productive capacity.  Quantifying and predicting each of these factors, however, is a difficult task. 

David Robson, the Head of Energy and Environmental Foresight for the Scottish Government, and Tom Burke, a Founding Director of E3G, showed why food security and climate security are important considerations for policymakers.  Though they are not predicted in the climate models, we cannot afford to ignore low probability, high impact events – like widespread regional famines – that would have large impacts on security. 

The lunchtime discussion featured John Ashton, the United Kingdom’s UK Special Representative for Climate Change.  So that he could communicate more candidly with the group, his presentation was held under Chatham House Rules.  Broadly, his presentation spoke about the importance of the Copenhagen meeting (held in mid-December 2009) and the importance of having the security community come together to discuss the potential impacts climate change. 

Throughout the day, two main themes predominated.  First, there are a number of ‘win-win’ policies that will enhance food security and environmental resilience while also fighting climate change.  These include expanding no-till farming practices, increased investment into agricultural research, building rural roads, and natural disaster planning. Secondly, many participants spoke about how global and national institutions have been built as ‘silos’ to deal with the individual problems of the 20^th century.  However, today’s problems – including, but not limited to, climate change – cut across these silos, and across national borders.  There are four pillars of security: food, water, energy, and climate security.  All are interlinked, and cannot be addressed without impacting the others. 

The IISS’ Transatlantic Dialogue on Climate Change and Security will complete its series of three workshops – on water, food, and energy – with a final workshop in Washington, DC early in 2010.

‐‐ The IISS would like to thank the European Commission for its generous support in financing this project. ‐‐ 

Transatlantic Dialogue on Climate Change and Security Homepage

Roundtable Agenda

Definition (UN FAO): Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. It is estimated that more than a billion people, one in every six human beings, may be suffering from under-nourishment.

9.30 am           Introductory remarks: Climate Change, Food, and Security     

                         Nigel Inkster, Director of Transnational Threats and Risk, IISS

9.45 am           Introductions and Opening Discussion: Where will climate change affect global water supplies the most?  How is food

                        insecurity different from water insecurity? 

10.00 am         Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation

                         Dr. Gerald Nelson, International Food Policy Research Institute

10.30 am         How does Food Insecurity create problems for International Security?

                        Tom Burke, Founding Director, E3G

                        David Robson, Head of Energy and Environmental Foresight, Scottish Government

11.30 am        Overlapping Challenges: Food Insecurity, Poverty, and Climate Change

                        Two Challenges to Food Security: Price Volatility and Climate Change

                        Oli Brown, International Institute for Sustainable Development

                        Vulnerability and Climate Change

                        Niels Scott, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

                        Adaptation to climate change

                        Jeremy Lind, Fellow, Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team, Institute of Development Studies

                        Investing in Agriculture in the Developing World

                        Laura Kelly, The ONE Campaign

12.45 pm        Luncheon Address 

                        John Ashton, UK Special Representative for Climate Change 

1.30 pm          Policy Options: The Challenge of Ensuring Food Security In a Low Carbon Future

                        The Link Between Food Security and Climate Change

                        Jonathan Cook, The World Wildlife Foundation - US

                        Security Implications of Climate Change and Food Security

                        Marc Baltes, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

                        Integrating Agriculture into a Climate Regime: Agricultural Offsets

                        Jane Desbarats and Håkon By, Institute for European Environmental Policy

 3.15 pm         GROUP EXERCISE AND DISCUSSION

                        Building Long Term Climate and Food Security

                        Policy recommendations for nations and the international community.  Ensuring stability of food supplies and avoiding unstable states under

                        a changing climate.