Climate Change Impacts on Food and Nutrition Security on Smallholder Farmers in Southern Africa

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter reviews potential impacts of climate change on food security and nutrition in Southern Africa. Southern Africa is warming at twice the global rate, and many countries are being affected by multiple shocks at the same time. The average number of climate-related disasters/hazards has increased by nearly 35% since the 1990s. More frequent and intense extreme events increase food insecurity and malnutrition by destroying lands, livestock, crops and food supplies in Southern Africa. In Southern Africa, climate change means a warmer and drier climate and greater exposure to multiple climatic hazards including droughts, floods, cyclones, and warmer, shorter growing seasons. The review shows that the four pillars of food security, that is, availability, access, utilization and stability are affected by climate change. The strategies to address climate change impacts on food security are discussed and suggestions to improve them are analysed. Climate change is changing the dynamics of pests and diseases of both livestock and crops. In Southern Africa, new pests like fall armyworms, Tuta absoluta have negatively affected the productivity of maize and tomato crops.Food access and stability may be affected through disruption of market prices, infrastructure, transport, manufacturer and retail as well as direct and indirect changes in income and food-purchasing power of low-income consumers. Food utilization may be directly affected by climate change due to increase in mycotoxins in food and feed. Increase in water-borne diseases under climate change such as cholera which has been rampant in Southern Africa can reduce food utilization. Extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods and cyclones, which have been on the increase in Southern Africa recently will affect the stability of food supply directly through disruption of transport and markets. Although climate adaptation, mitigation and resilient building will take many years, in the meantime, humanitarian food assistance is vital to address the impacts of climate change on food and nutritional security in the short term.KeywordsNutrition burdensFood systemsAdaptationResilienceClimate hazards