The Anatomy of A Silent Crisis The Anatomy of A Silent Crisis

24 Forum 2009: Climate Change – The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis
First, many may not have enough crop production to feed their families. Second, the shortfall of
their own crop may likely force them to buy food at a time when prices are high due to reduced
global crop yields and population growth.
Over 900 million are chronically hungry today—many of them due to climate change
In 2008, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that more
than 900 million are afflicted with hunger, or about 13 percent 70 of the global population. 71 Of those
suffering from hunger, 94 percent 72 live in developing nations. 73 Most are subsistence farmers,
landless families or people working in fishery or forestry. The remainder live in shanty towns on the
fringes of urban areas. A quarter of the hungry are children. 73
Climate change is projected to be at the root of hunger and malnutrition for about 45 million
people, as a result of reduced agricultural yields of cereals, fruits, vegetables, livestock and dairy,
as well as the cash crops like cotton and fish which generate income. 34 For example, drought hurts
crops in Africa where over 90 percent of farmers are small scale and about 65 percent of people’s
primary source of income is agriculture. 74
By 2030, the number of hungry people because of climate change is expected to grow by more than
two thirds
Within 20 years, the number of hungry people as a result of climate change is projected to
almost double to 75 million. 75 The reason for this increase is that the effects of climate change
become more pronounced as temperatures rise. Within the same 20 years, climate change is
projected to reduce global food production by approximately 50 million tons. 76 That, in turn,
could force up global food prices by 20 percent. 76,77
In some parts of Africa climate change is expected to reduce yield up to 50 percent by 2020. 78
Historical evidence shows that higher food prices cause an immediate and direct jump in hunger
levels. During the 2008 food crisis, the number of hungry people in the world increased by 40 million,
primarily due to increased food prices. 71