January 2012: Over recent years, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has published a series of highly cited reports on the potential effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, and opportunities for agriculture to contribute to mitigating climate change.

Summarizing some of these results, a recent release highlights how IFPRI’s research has contributed to the global climate change dialogue. It highlights a report released in 2009, titled “Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation,” which demonstrated the need for at least $7 billion annually in additional funding to offset negative effects of climate change. Similarly in 2010, IFPRI’s “Food Security, Farming and Climate Change to 2050: Scenarios, Results, Policy Options” stressed the implications of climate change for food security over coming decades.

A new article on the use of IFPRI’s International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) in the context of Indonesia shows that by 2030, climate change will have a significant negative impact on the Indonesian economy, particularly the agricultural sector in rural areas for poorer households. The model notes the negative growth due to adverse impacts on agriculture and agro-based industries, particularly soybeans, rice and paddy rice. The report stresses the need for increased public agricultural research investments and greater awareness of government agencies and farmers to adapt to adverse impacts of climate change.

Finally, a recent IFPRI paper titled “Climate change and floods in Yemen,” uses global and local perspectives to assess impacts on the Yemeni economy, agriculture and household income and food security. The paper argues that higher global food prices will lower Yemen’s GDP growth, raise agricultural GDP, decrease household incomes and increase the number of hungry people, anticipating that between 80,000 and 270,000 people could go hungry due to climate change with non-farm rural households suffering the most. Citing the impacts of the 2008 Wadi Hadramout floods, the report calls for efforts at the global and local levels to integrate climate change in national development strategies, agricultural and rural policies, and disaster risk management and social protection policies.

IFPRI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [IFPRI Press Release: Food Security and Climate Change: Using IFPRI Results as a Call for Action] [Publication: Impact of Global Climate Change on the Indonesian Economy] [Publication: Climate Change and Floods in Yemen]