An Assesment of the Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security in the Pacific

• Case Study in Cook Islands
  • According to FAO, the croplands, pastures and forests that occupy 60 per cent of the
    Earth’s surface are progressively being exposed to threats from increased climatic variability
    and, in the longer run, to climate change. Abnormal changes in air temperature and rainfall
    and resulting increases in frequency and intensity of droughts and flood events have longterm
    implications for the viability of these eco-systems.
    As climate patterns change, so also do the spatial distribution of agro-ecological zones,
    habitats, distribution patterns of plants and diseases and pests, fish populations and ocean
    circulation patterns which can have significant impacts on agriculture and food production.
    
    
    
• Case Study in Marshall Islands
  • At the 6th Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture from the South West Pacific region held in the
    Cook Islands from 1-3 June 2005, the Ministers, in reaffirming their commitment to
    enhancing food security in the region, noted the increasing need for prudent policies based
    on more in-depth analyses of the prevailing macroeconomic conditions and taking into
    account non-economic concerns. The meeting recommended that studies be carried out to
    assess the impact of climate variability on agriculture and food security in the region and the
    capacities of countries to implement international and regional agreements relating to
    agriculture. This recommendation was again reinforced during the 7th Meeting of Ministers
    (Majuro, Marshall Islands 29-31 May 2007) which amongst other things, urged FAO to
    pursue a study to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security in the
    Pacific Islands region.