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In Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Latin America, the authors examine the impact of projected climate change on future food production and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), to 2100. According to some accounts, climate change could be a devastating prospect for the indigenous peasantry of South America, and for LAC prospects as a food exporting region. However, temperate areas like the Southern Cone and parts of the Andean Highlands might actually benefit from some increase in temperature and the projected rise in precipitation. Demographic and economic drivers might themselves mitigate some of the potential effects of climate change, by reducing the size of the subsistence peasantry and generally improving access to food. And much improvement could be achieved through progress in agricultural technology, even if it progresses at rates lower than the historical record. Agricultural production and access to food may be further improved by measures creating better institutional and regulatory frameworks in the region and by more appropriate policies towards agriculture. However, the authors point out that governance in South America will have to mature before effective policy based responses to climate change can be expected.
Following the introductory chapter, Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Latin America begins by examining the general conceptual and methodological issues regarding food security and the analysis of impacts of climate change on food production and security. Present trends in food production and security in the LAC region are examined. Some major crosscutting issues related to climate change are considered: possible future trends in El Nino Southern Oscillation, sea level rise, and the prospects for the Amazon forest. Possible future evolutions of agriculture and food security in the region are explored. Policy recommendations for public authorities, covering support for agricultural production and guidelines for reducing poverty and enhancing access to food for the most vulnerable groups, are set out. The final chapter summarises Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Latin America's main conclusions.
