Examples of human activities leading to GEC:

1
Global Environmental Change Anthropogenic Causes

• Examples of human activities leading to GEC

Agricultural intensification Freshwater
extraction Fisheries overexploitation Waste
production
Deforestation Fossil fuel consumption
Urbanisation Land reclamation
2
Global Environmental Change Manifestations
Changes in the biophysical environment caused or
strongly influenced by human activities
For example changes in
Land cover soils Atmospheric composition
Climate variability means Water availability
quality
Nitrogen availability cycling Biodiversity Sea
currents salinity Sea level
3
GECAFS Goal
To determine strategies to cope with the impacts
of GEC on food systems and to assess the
environmental and socioeconomic consequences of
adaptive responses aimed at improving food
security.
4
Food Security

• state or condition underpinned by food systems.
• exists when all people, at all times, have
  physical and economic access to sufficient, safe,
  and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs
  and food preferences for an active and healthy
  life.
• (definition from the World Food Summit)
• emphasises access for individuals, households,
  communities to food.
• is researched via food systems approach.

5
GECAFS Fundamental Questions

• How will Global Environmental Change affect the
  vulnerability of food systems in different
  regions?
• How might food systems be adapted to cope with
  GEC so as to enhance food security?
• What would be the consequences of adaptation
  options for environmental and socioeconomic
  conditions?

6
Global Environmental Change and Food Systems
Research
Conditions
Scenarios
Vulnerability Impacts
Feedbacks
Current Food Systems
Adapted Food Systems
Adaptation
7
Food Systems Concepts Research Questions

• What parameters describe food systems so as to
  facilitate GECAFS research?
• Within given food systems, which parameters are
  most sensitive to GEC?
• Who are the agents within each major food system,
  what are their roles, and how do they interact?

8
Vulnerability of Food Systems to GEC research
questions

• Which aspects of food systems are presently most
  vulnerable to environmental stress and which
  stresses are most threatening?
• How might these vulnerabilities change in the
  future and to what extent might GEC either
  heighten or mitigate these vulnerabilities?
• Which strategies, involving both the private and
  public sectors, will most likely reduce food
  system vulnerabilities and thereby increase food
  security?

9
Research Relevance Stakeholders
Science Agendas
Development Agendas
Policy Makers
Resource Managers
Science
Socio- economic
Natural
10
Southern Africa Regional Research

• Develops a GEC science agenda that
• targets regional scientific issues
• relates to regional development needs
• interacts effectively with the regional policy
  making process
• encourages more support for the regional science
  communities
• provides contexts for conceptual research

• Regional studies approach
• Led by regional scientists assisted by GECAFS IPO
• Specific funding applications, mainly to
  development agencies

11
GECAFS Research Themes

• Theme 1 Assessing vulnerability of food systems
  to GEC
• Theme 2 Determining adaptation options for food
  systems to cope with GEC so as to enhance food
  security
• Theme 3 Analysing consequences of adaptation
  options for environmental and socioeconomic
  conditions (tradeoffs)