Challenges and opportunities for food systems in a changing climate: A systematic review of climate policy integration

Abstract

The compounding effects of climate change on food systems have led researchers into developing approaches aimed at understanding the multiple trade-offs and synergies associated to dealing with climate change. As countries continue to develop climate policies, in particular adaptation strategies, it is evident that these need to be articulated more effectively across multiple policy domains and jurisdictions. Climate policy integration is often sought to improve policy coherence and climate governance at different scales. The aim of this paper is to better understand to what degree climate policy integration is being achieved and what are the common barriers and enablers. Additional emphasis is placed on identifying challenges and opportunities specifically relevant to food systems and the attainment of food security goals. The study was conducted using the PRISMA Statement and four-phase diagram for reporting results of systematic reviews. The dataset analysed included 209 peer-review articles published in the period 2010−2020. The review shows that although climate policy integration is increasingly discussed as a preferred strategy to deal more effectively with complex and multiple policy domains, existing institutional and governance structures pose barriers to the effective integration of climate goals across sectors, approaches and jurisdictions. There are specific opportunities and challenges for food systems and food security. Among these opportunities are the conceptual compatibility which can be derived from land-use strategies that generate synergies between adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development goals. In addition, the agricultural sector has often developed vertical structures for the delivery of support services which can be utilized to facilitate vertical integration and implementation of strategies. In contrast, the legislative legacy and often complicated processes of policy layering, drift and conversion in land-use sectors challenge the achievement of policy coherence.