London, UK:
Next week, an independent commission of scientific leaders from thirteen
countries will deliver a detailed set of recommendations to policymakers on
how to achieve food security in the face of climate change. In its report,
the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change proposes
specific policy responses to the global challenge of feeding a world
confronted by climate change, population growth, poverty, food price spikes
and degraded ecosystems.
The Commission will release its final report, and premier an animated video
next Wednesday, March 28 at a 12:30 pm session at Planet Under Pressure— a
major conference bringing together the global scientific community to
provide leadership towards the Rio+20 Earth Summit this June in Brazil.
WHAT:
Key Conference Session at Planet Under Pressure
WHO: Sir John Beddington, Commission Chair
Professor Molly Jahn, University of Madison-Wisconsin, United States
Professor Tekalign Mamo, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia
Professor Robert Scholes, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR), South Africa
WHEN:
Wednesday, 28 March 2012 at 7:30 a.m. EDT / 12:30 p.m. London
Venue: Room 11, Planet under Pressure Conference
Location: London, UK
DETAILS:
To preview the video, receive an embargoed copy of the report, request
interviews, or for more information, contact:
Neil Sorensen at +33.641668648 or neil_sorensen@yahoo.com or
Michelle Geis at +1.3012805712 or mgeis@burnesscommunications.com
Additional materials to support this announcement, including photos, are
available.
Background Statistics
Nearly one billion people in the world are undernourished while millions
suffer from chronic disease due to excess food consumption. Global demand is
growing for agricultural products and food prices are rising, yet roughly
one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Climate
change threatens more frequent drought, flooding and pest outbreaks and the
world loses 12 million hectares of agricultural land each year to land
degradation. Land clearing and inefficient practices make agriculture the
largest source of greenhouse gas pollution on the planet.
Report Background
The Commission reviewed the scientific evidence base to develop a package of
solutions that address how food is produced, distributed, and consumed. The
report synthesizes authoritative studies on climate change and food security
as well as thousands of peer-reviewed studies.
The report gives a complete overview of the current state of the food system
and specifies a holistic approach to transforming the food system and
defining a path towards long-term sustainability. It highlights specific
opportunities under the mandates of the Rio+20 Earth Summit, the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Group of 20
(G20) nations.
Animated video launch on the ‘How to feed the world in 2050: actions in a
changing climate’
The Commission has created an animated video that describes the major
strategies for moving the planet towards a food secure future. To achieve a
‘safe operating space’ for people and the planet, humanity must operate
within three limits: the quantity of food that can be produced under a given
climate; the quantity needed by a growing and changing population; and the
effect of food production on climate. The Commission will launch the
animated video at the Planet Under Press Conference on the 28th.
The URL for advance viewing only:
Please confirm your interest to receive the password.
Final ‘live’ URL: bit.ly/SafeSpaceClimateFood
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The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change is an
initiative of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and
Food Security (www.ccafs.cgiar.org), with additional support from the Global
Donor Platform for Rural Development. The Commission brings together senior
natural and social scientists working in agriculture, climate, food and
nutrition, economics, and natural resources from Australia, Brazil,
Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, France, Kenya, India, Mexico, South Africa, the
United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam to identify the policy
changes and actions needed now to help the world achieve sustainable
agriculture that contributes to food security and poverty reduction, and
helps respond to climate change adaptation and mitigation goals.
For more information about the Commission, visit
http://ccafs.cgiar.org/commission