Pacific leaders alarmed over climate change’s negative impact on food systems and food security

Climate change poses an alarming threat to food systems and food security in the Pacific islands, warned leaders of nine small island developing states (SIDS), representatives of regional development bodies, New Zealand and Australia at a meeting chaired by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva today.

The meeting took place ahead of the Pacific leaders’ participation at the UN Climate Conference COP23 in Bonn, and culminated in the leaders signing a joint statement – a call for action that they will take to COP23.

In the statement, the Pacific leaders called upon all countries to “exceed previous commitments and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C as above pre-industrial levels, to reduce the adverse impacts on food security and nutrition, coastal habitats and the livelihoods of those depending on oceans.”

The 1.5 degrees limit will allow “for a greater change at maintaining resilient livelihoods and promote partnerships for sustainable development in the Pacific Islands,” the statement read.

Source and More info: http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/news/detail-events/en/c/1062290/

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