Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change
Open Access

Abstract

One of the most important effects of climate change and variability for human society is its impacts upon global food security, through its impacts upon agriculture and agricultural yields. In certain countries and regions, these impacts can be multiplied many times because food production resources, notably farmland, are already vulnerable because of drought conditions. In any investigation of the effects of climate change on human activities such as agriculture and food production, it is also crucial to appreciate the multiple stresssors that these activities must contend with. In particular, even when far, land resources, including climate, are good to very good, even after the effects of climate change and variability (CCV) are taken into account, these activities near cities also often have to face continued urbanization pressures. In several developed countries, such as Canada and much of Western Europe, for instance, major cities are surrounded by good to excellent farmland resources in relatively temperate climates. Food security is also an increasingly important concern for some population segments in these cities and there has been a growing emphasis on local and regional sources of food for these cities and these population segments. Maintaining food production potential in these regions (and also to contribute to food security globally) face some major challenges for agriculture which must be transformed, must adapt to CCV and at the same time the farmland resource must be conserved. We therefore tackle, in the context of CCV, Agricultural Transformation, Adaptation and Conservation (ATAC).

Biography

Christopher R Bryant completed his PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was Professor in Geography, University of Waterloo, from 1970-1990 and then in Géographie, Université de Montréal, from 1990-2014. He is currently Adjunct Professor at the Universities of Montréal and Guelph. He has published almost 100 articles in peer-reviewd journals, over 30 books and over 150 chapters in books and has made several hundred presentations at conferences.

Email: Christopher.robin.bryant@gmail.com