The fight over global warming, for most people, is only about arguing whether it exists or not. However, many do not consider whether global warming exists or not we are undoubtedly experiencing weather conditions which we had not anticipated. Due to the lack of preparedness human populations are facing problems which may not effect us directly or immediately, however, they ultimately cause the degradation of human development. An article written by Oxfam International in 2012 focuses specifically on how extreme weather influences food production and the ability to feed millions. Some points that the article makes are:
-The United States is a vital component of the world's production of corn and maize.
-A drought in USA in 2030 could raise food prices by nearly 100%. Drought and/or flooding in southern Africa and India would raise prices on importing countries and leave millions without food.
-Extreme weather can eliminate harvests altogether.
-Food discussions are not heavily debated in current climate talks.
If we were to look further into the situation we could see that extreme weather in key locations such as the United States of America could cause global famine as the US is one of the biggest exporters of food to malnourished nations.
Now how do we know that we can trust Oxfam in providing accurate information? Oxfam International is an Non governmental organization. It is a reliable source of information because Oxfam is internationally reputed to bring attention to worldwide poverty and issues which affect the most vulnerable. If we were to dig into the financials of Oxfam, specifically their annual report, we can see that Oxfam is not heavily funded by any specific country or corporation. This means that Oxfam would not be biased towards any entity. Oxfam is over 60 years old and is present in about 90 countries. All information of their projects and how funding is used can be easily located on their website. All these factors combined make Oxfam a reliable source for information.
There are many claims which may sound to be unbelievable. How does Oxfam arrive to statements such as, "Between 2010 and 2030, average world market export prices for maize could rise by 177%, with up to half the increase due to climate change". One thing to point out is that there are no definitive statements. Instead words such as "could" and "may" are used. Why is this? The main reason is that Oxfam is predicting about what the world may have to experience in the year 2030. The information provided by Oxfam is also heavily reliant on forecast models. These models have been created by using information collected over the past few decades such as what affect previous droughts have had on the world's production of food. In addition. Oxfam references studies and sources done by organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Yes, the results in 2030 may not be as severe as what may happen. However, Oxfam has given their worst case scenarios and have also listed what factors go into these forecasts. For example, if the world's population were not to increase as rapidly as studies indicate then the food problem would not be as severe.
After reading this article I am in dismay. Despite the tremendous amount of technology we are still insufficient in providing hundreds of millions with proper nutrition. In fact, even many in the United States suffer from the lack of proper nutrition. However, after reading this article there is some hope that humans all over the world can be fed. While there may be little to nothing that we can about changing climate and extreme weather conditions, there is much that we can do to safeguard access to food. If we are to protect our agricultural capacity it is important for governments to truly come together and reduce dangerous pollutants and use existing ways to boost the production of clean agriculture.
The original Oxfam article and the report it pertains to can be found at the inks below:
-http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/pressroom/pressrelease/2012-09-05/food-price-spikes-will-get-worse-extreme-weather-climate-change
-http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/20120905-ib-extreme-weather-extreme-prices-en.pdf
-The United States is a vital component of the world's production of corn and maize.
-A drought in USA in 2030 could raise food prices by nearly 100%. Drought and/or flooding in southern Africa and India would raise prices on importing countries and leave millions without food.
-Extreme weather can eliminate harvests altogether.
-Food discussions are not heavily debated in current climate talks.
If we were to look further into the situation we could see that extreme weather in key locations such as the United States of America could cause global famine as the US is one of the biggest exporters of food to malnourished nations.
Now how do we know that we can trust Oxfam in providing accurate information? Oxfam International is an Non governmental organization. It is a reliable source of information because Oxfam is internationally reputed to bring attention to worldwide poverty and issues which affect the most vulnerable. If we were to dig into the financials of Oxfam, specifically their annual report, we can see that Oxfam is not heavily funded by any specific country or corporation. This means that Oxfam would not be biased towards any entity. Oxfam is over 60 years old and is present in about 90 countries. All information of their projects and how funding is used can be easily located on their website. All these factors combined make Oxfam a reliable source for information.
There are many claims which may sound to be unbelievable. How does Oxfam arrive to statements such as, "Between 2010 and 2030, average world market export prices for maize could rise by 177%, with up to half the increase due to climate change". One thing to point out is that there are no definitive statements. Instead words such as "could" and "may" are used. Why is this? The main reason is that Oxfam is predicting about what the world may have to experience in the year 2030. The information provided by Oxfam is also heavily reliant on forecast models. These models have been created by using information collected over the past few decades such as what affect previous droughts have had on the world's production of food. In addition. Oxfam references studies and sources done by organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Yes, the results in 2030 may not be as severe as what may happen. However, Oxfam has given their worst case scenarios and have also listed what factors go into these forecasts. For example, if the world's population were not to increase as rapidly as studies indicate then the food problem would not be as severe.
After reading this article I am in dismay. Despite the tremendous amount of technology we are still insufficient in providing hundreds of millions with proper nutrition. In fact, even many in the United States suffer from the lack of proper nutrition. However, after reading this article there is some hope that humans all over the world can be fed. While there may be little to nothing that we can about changing climate and extreme weather conditions, there is much that we can do to safeguard access to food. If we are to protect our agricultural capacity it is important for governments to truly come together and reduce dangerous pollutants and use existing ways to boost the production of clean agriculture.
The original Oxfam article and the report it pertains to can be found at the inks below:
-http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/pressroom/pressrelease/2012-09-05/food-price-spikes-will-get-worse-extreme-weather-climate-change
-http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/20120905-ib-extreme-weather-extreme-prices-en.pdf
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