Climate change and the food and agribusiness sectors: Adaptation, mitigation and innovation

Introduction

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report on the Impacts of Global Warming warned that the world is already seeing the consequences of global warming of 1°C, with more frequent and extreme weather, rising sea levels, diminishing Arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, land degradation and desertification, among other changes.¹ It also warned that to limit global warming to 1.5°C requires "rapid and far-reaching transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport and cities". Change of this nature will impact every commercial, public and private endeavour. In coming years, the entire food and agribusiness value chain will likely be disrupted – not just because land is vulnerable to the physical effects of climate change and other stressors, but also because the industry is interdependent with the other sectors identified above. There will be significant changes and challenges to navigate. But there will also be significant