Climate Crisis: A Persistent Threat to Food Security

Impacts from the climate crisis, such as changing rainfall patterns, more frequent droughts and flooding, and the geographical spread and redistribution of pests and diseases are threatening food production around the world. While we manage the risks posed by COVID-19 for food security, several other risks are already endangering food production globally such as the worst locust invasion in East Africa and Yemen in decades, and African swine fever outbreaks in China. Closer to home, prolonged drought in some parts of Southeast Asia saw water in the Mekong drop to their lowest level in a century. Now that food and agriculture get more attention than before due to the COVID-19 threat, it is high time to carry out much-needed reforms with sustainability considerations foremost. Multi-disciplinary research and development (R&D) and multi-party partnerships are necessary to tackle the formidable challenges of food security exacerbated by the climate crisis, and especially in dealing with the pandemic.