A United Nations expert warned Tuesday that climate change, which results in extreme weather and natural disasters like flooding, threatens food security and could lead to malnutrition of 600 million people by 2080, the Associated Press reported.
The statement was given by human rights expert Hilal Elver, who emphasized that extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and severe "have a significant impact on the right to food." Her warning came ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will take place in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
"All these climate incidents will negatively impact on crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and on people's livelihoods," Elver said in a news release.
She added that large-scale agricultural models will not satisfy the demand for food. Instead, she said, transformative systems like agro-ecology should be adapted not only to meet local food demand but also to protect farmers' rights and preserve small-scale farming and cultural traditions. Transformative systems would also promote a healthy diet while sustaining the environment.
"Those who have contributed the least to global warming are the ones set to suffer the most from its harmful effects," Elver said. "Urgent action is needed to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, but mitigation and adaptation policies should respect the right to food as well as other fundamental human rights."
Referring to the joint statement by U.N. Special Procedures on World Environment Day, Elver emphasized that "governments should 'make sure that human rights are at the core of climate change governance.'"
