A human rights expert from the United Nations (UN) warned today that climate change could pose a serious threat to food security.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, Hilal Elver, expressed her concerns about the issue on a news release. “Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, rising temperatures, and sea levels, as well as floods and droughts, have a significant impact on the right to food,” she said. “All these climate incidents will negatively impact on crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and on people’s livelihoods.”
The expert believes that in order to satisfy the food demand, the world needs new agricultural models less focused on mass industrial production and more inclined to support small businesses, like local farming, with the purpose of creating environmental sustainability, advocating for food democracy and promoting a healthy and natural diet.
“Those who have contributed the least to global warming are the ones set to suffer the most from its harmful effects. Urgent action is needed to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, but mitigation and adaptation policies should respect the right to food as well as other fundamental human rights,” the Rapporteur stated.
Elver will bring her concerns to the UN climate change conference (COP 21) that will be held in Paris, from November 30 to December 11.
During the meeting — which intends to create an universally applicable law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions going by to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) —, the Rapporteur will aim for an agreement that “will respect, protect and fulfill human rights of all persons, and especially those most vulnerable,” while addressing the problem of global warming. The expert stresses that Governments should prioritize human rights when coming up with solutions for the damages of climate change.
Additionally, Elver expressed her wish that all countries become active in trying to find solutions to global warming and food security for the entirety of the world population, one of the most disputed issues around the globe in present times.
As an example of intervention, US, Brazil, and China all made agreements seeking to fight environmental decay. Barack Obama and Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff agreed this July that their countries would increase the use of wind and solar power sources to cut down carbon emissions and protect the ozone layer.
China plans to lower 60% of its carbon monoxide production by 2020, which in the country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) was described as “China’s utmost efforts in addressing climate change.”
Source: UN News Centre.