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Climate change 'affects seriously' food supply, availability, accessibility -- CHR
Climate change 'affects seriously' food supply, availability, accessibility -- CHR
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed concerns on the far-reaching effects of climate change that would also impact on the country’s food supply, availability and accessibility if left unchecked.
In its National Inquiry on Climate Change Report, written by former Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz, the CHR cited the many reasons why addressing climate change is more crucial than ever.
Because of rising temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme weather events, the CHR said in its report that crop, livestock, fisheries, and aquaculture activity will be negatively affected. This will, in turn, impact food availability, it said.
"Food accessibility will be more difficult -- especially for the poor and socially-vulnerable groups -- due to changes in food production and market prices," the report stated as it noted that “food distribution during emergencies will also become increasingly complicated because of more frequent and intense extreme weather events."
The CHR also cited the warning of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that the number of people battling hunger and undernourishment will continue to rise if the Philippine government will continue to turn a blind eye towards climate change.
As of now, it said that expert resource speakers have already lamented the dwindling fish catch and a reduction in agriculture produce due to climate change.
"Production of rice, the staple food of Filipinos, is reduced by 10 percent for every one-degree centigrade increase in night temperatures. For corn, there is a one-point seven percent yield reduction for each day above 30 degrees centigrade under drought conditions," it said in its report.
"Fruits and vegetables also have substantial yield reductions. As for livestock, aside from the negative impacts on animal fertility, there is a three to five percent reduction in feed intake for every one centigrade about 30 centigrade. These result in food supply challenges, higher food prices, higher malnutrition and food insecurity," it added.