World Bank official issues climate change warning for agriculture
Rachel Kyte, World Bank Group Vice President and special envoy for climate change, told agricultural leaders in Canberra last week the world was headed “down a dangerous path”.
Professor Kyte challenged the agricultural sector to “chart a new course” for the industry because a “business as usual” approach would not allow farmers to feed the world.
She said global crop yields could drop by one fifth by 2030 and disruption of the food system was possible within a decade as climate change undermined nations’ ability to feed themselves.
“Whether big business, small farmer, or government policymaker, we all need to take responsibility for creating a food system that is climate-smart, people-focused and planet-friendly,” Prof Kyte told a Crawford Fund conference.
Increased greenhouse gas emissions from livestock as well as land clearing will make farming more marginal in many regions, especially in developing nations, she said.
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