Tuesday 24 September 2013

Oxfam warns hotter world will be hungrier

Oxfam has warned a warned a hotter world will also be hungrier ahead of the release of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

On Friday the IPCC will unveil its fifth assessment of the scientific basis of climate change, carried out once every six years.

Oxfam expects the assessment to confirm the existence of climate change caused mainly by humans. The charity’s Growing Disruption report says climate change will not only cut food production but reduce the nutritional value of both crops and livestock, worsen human health and lead to higher prices.

Tim Gore, Head of Policy for Oxfam's GROW campaign said: "Just as the evidence of man-made climate change is becoming stronger, so too is our understanding of how it hits people, especially around hunger.

"We've long known that climate change will mean lost crops but increasingly we're seeing its impacts through higher food prices, lower earnings, more health problems and lower quality food too."

Oxfam has previously estimated food will become twice as expensive in the next two decades compared to 2010 prices, with half of the increase down to climate change.

A recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development warned that the world faces a 'collective crisis' of climate change, farming and poverty.

In contrast, climate change sceptic Lord Lawson this week called for an independent review into the UK's climate predictions.