Noticias

Since its official launch in March 2011 the CCAFS-convened Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change has been hard at work. On May 10th, the Commission held its second meeting in Brasilia, Brazil, where Commissioners were briefed on a review of evidence from major assessment reports. Individual Commissioners presented on topics related to three overarching questions:

1. What are the major components and drivers of the current food system and what will this system look like in the future?
2. What does an alternative future food system look like and how can this system be brought into being?
3. What investments (technical, political, financial, social) are essential to an alternative future food system and who can make them?

Commissioners refined their plan for synthesizing scientific evidence and engaging key stakeholder groups in order to increase awareness and uptake by specific institutions, countries and stakeholders, and catalyze policy progress and mobilization of finance. Working groups were formed to deliver findings over the next three months on the following topics:

• Major components of the current food system
• Patterns and drivers of food price volatility and trade
• Eating patterns and waste / loss in food supply chains
• Future trajectories and “safe operating spaces”
• Investments and actions with near- and long-term impact

This work comes amid recent reports that water-stressed nations in the Middle East are headed towards a 'perfect storm' of problems predicted by Commission chair Sir John Beddington, including water shortages, population growth, poor access to food and energy, land grabs and civil unrest. 

The Commission’s report will be finalized in early fall and will contain recommendations relevant to major policy processes including the G-20, the UNFCCC and the Rio+20 Earth Summit.

Full summaries of this and other Commission meetings are now available.

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Related Videos: The  Commissioners speak about the links between climate change and food security, and share their hopes for the Commission.

This blog was written by Christine Negra, coordinator of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. For more information visit www.ccafs.cgiar.org/commission