2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Climate Change and Agriculture: Revisiting the Evidence and Potential Solutions

A major assertion in both the 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and U.S. National Climate Assessment reports is that climate change is already affecting agricultural productivity, and adaptation is already occurring in response. Effects are spatially heterogeneous and likely to intensify in the next century. Debate and substantial research are needed on the nature, scale, and severity of future climate change, means of adaption into the future, and potential mitigation actions. This symposium addresses key dimensions of climate change impacts on agriculture, as well as adaptation and mitigation: the projected impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and food security in domestic and international settings; the motivation for adaptation efforts, along with potential strategies and roles for public versus private entities; and prospects for and policy toward the use of agriculture in climate change mitigation. The agricultural sector needs to prepare for two phases of climate change: one between now and 2040, with a global temperature increase of about 1 degree Celsius; and the post-2040 phase, which could range from 2-6 degrees Celsius depending on the mitigation actions taken from this point forward. Speakers highlight the current status of agricultural adaptation to climate change, attitudinal and economic hurdles to scaled-up adaptation measures, and the need to intelligently link adaptation and mitigation.