Suggestions to help grow climate-hit farming.

Byline: NAZIR AHMED SHAIKH

Global climate change has significant implications for agricultural production worldwide. It refers to long-term shifts in Earth's climate patterns and average temperatures due to human activities and natural processes. It is primarily driven by the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and other industrial processes. The greenhouse gases trap heat from the Sun, leading to a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect.

The consequences of global climate change include rising temperatures, melting polar ice caps, sea-level rise, more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as hurricanes, drought and heat waves, altered precipitation patterns and shifts in ecosystems and wildlife habitats. These changes have wide-ranging impacts on the environment, human health and socio-economic systems.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is deeply concerned about the impacts of climate change on food security and agricultural systems worldwide. As an organization dedicated to eradicating hunger, promoting sustainable agriculture, and ensuring food security, FAO recognizes that climate change poses a significant threat to achieving these goals.

The FAO acknowledges that climate change is already affecting agriculture and food production in various ways. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, more frequent extreme weather events, and shifting seasons are impacting crop yields, livestock productivity, fisheries, and overall food production. These changes have direct implications for food availability, access and affordability, particularly for vulnerable communities in developing countries.

The scientific consensus is that human activities are the primary driver of the current global climate change trend. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global scientific body, has been instrumental in assessing and summarizing the scientific understanding of climate change. International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting renewable energy, and adapting to the changes already underway.

Addressing global climate change requires collective action at global, national and local levels, involving governments, businesses, communities, and individuals. The goal is to transition to a low-carbon and...