Food Security, Environmental Change, Biodiversity, and Interdependencies

Jeff BrawnDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

From: IPCC 5th Assessment (2014), Food Security and Food Production Systems

Environment and Ecological Processes

• Ecological Services are essential elements of sustainable and resilient food systems

• All components of food security - availability, stability, access, and utilization – are affected by environmental change (from anthropogenic or

“natural” sources)

First Principles/Assertions

“Ecosystem goods and services represent the benefits human populations derive, directly or indirectly from

ecosystem functions” (Costanza et al. 1997)

“Ecosystem goods and services represent the benefits human populations derive, directly or indirectly from

ecosystem functions” (Costanza et al. 1997)

Sundstrom et al. 2014. Food Security 6:201-2015

Climate change will affect supply and the ability of individuals to use food effectively by altering the conditions for food safety and changing disease pressure from vector, water, and food-borne

diseases

Bebber et al. 2013Nature Climate Change

Crop Pests Are Moving Poleward

• The integrity of ecological systems can determine the diversity and the quality of ecological services

• Environmental changes alter ecological services and dis-services to food systems and food

security

• The spatial scale of this dynamic can be local to regional