Climate Change

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, sea-levels have risen, there is a strong decline in Arctic sea ice and other climate-related changes are evident.

Arguably, the most fundamental impact of global climate change on the human population is its effect on the food production system, with potential consequences predicted to:

• Entail changes to crop yields
• Make conditions more suitable for disease development
• Intensify the threat from mycotoxins
• Add pressure to the already struggling wild fisheries sector
• Make traditional habitats no longer suitable for the current species
• Allow pests such as insects, weeds or fungi to continue to systematically move north and make the introduction of novel pest’s species highly likely.

Control measures initiated in response to climate change may generate food safety problems due to the novelty of the climate-induced issues (e.g. new pest species) and the unfamiliarity of farmers in dealing with them. It is important for the food chain to understand how this will affect the provision of safe food and food safety practices.

Please watch the video and share any thoughts that you have about climate change in the discussion area below.