Introduction - Climate Resilient Agriculture for Ensuring Food Security - page 11

production has to increase, in quantity, quality,
and diversity, especially in developing countries.
Population and income growth will drive an ever-
increasing demand, especially in developing
countries (Foresight 2011a , b ). Assuming these
trends continue, FAO estimates that production
has to increase by 60 % between now and 2050,
especially in developing countries (Conforti
2011 ). Agriculture is also an essential driver of
economic growth, particularly in rural areas and
least developed countries. At the national level,
boosting agricultural production stimulates over-
all economic growth and development, particu-
larly in those countries with a high economic
dependence on agriculture. According to the
World Bank ( 2008 ), investment in agriculture is
particularly effi cient in creating new jobs.
Agricultural and rural development acts as an
engine for sustainable economic development,
making an effective contribution to national eco-
nomic growth. At the community level, agricul-
tural development increases farm productivity,
reduces food defi cits, increases food surpluses,
and raises incomes. Improved agriculture pro-
duction provides opportunities to sustainably
reduce poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition
and thereby improves livelihoods.
At the same time, food production and con-
sumption already exerts a considerable impact on
the environment (UNEP 2010 ; FAO 2012b ).
Food systems rely on resources, especially land,
water, biodiversity, and fossil fuels, which are
becoming ever more fragile and scarce.
Agriculture is essential for a green economy.
In fact, FAO considers that there can be no green
economy without agriculture. This is why FAO
proposed “Greening Economy with Agriculture”
as the basis key message for Rio+20 (FAO
2012b ).

whose growth in income and employment is
driven by investments that simultaneously:
• Reduce carbon emissions and pollution.
• Enhance energy and resource-use effi ciency.
• Prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem
services.
As per the defi nition of the concept, green
economy objectives should resonate with sus-
tainable development agendas, highlighting a
concern with human well-being and social
equity - both now and for future generations - as
well as balancing risks and scarcities faced by
peoples across the globe. As stated in the out-
come document of the Rio+20 conference, the
“green economy in the context of sustainable
development and poverty eradication will
enhance our ability to manage natural resources
sustainably and with lower negative environmen-
tal impacts, increase resource effi ciency, and
reduce waste.”
Climate-resilient agriculture contributes to the
goals of making sustainable development con-
crete. It integrates the three dimensions of sus-
tainable development in addressing food security
and climate concerns in a forward-looking per-
spective. It is guided by the need for more
resource effi ciency and resilience. These princi-
ples are also central in the Rio+20 outcome docu-
ments, which recognize resource effi ciency as
key to a green economy and affi rm the need to
enhance agriculture's resilience.

1.4.3 Ensuring Food Security

The world is producing enough food, but in
2010-2012, there were still almost 870 million
people estimated to be undernourished (FAO
2012a ). In addition, another billion people are
malnourished, lacking essential micronutrients.
The paradox is that at the same time, a large num-
ber of people, mainly in richer countries, are
overeating causing long-term health problems
and that 60 % of the malnourished actually are
food producers, smallholders, and pastoralists,
with 20 % living in cities and 20 % landless rural
people. For the poor producers, food is not only a
basic need, it is the single, and often fragile, support

1.4.2 Green Economy

Green economy is defi ned as “An economy that
results in improved human well-being and social
equity, while signifi cantly reducing environmen-
tal risks and ecological scarcities” (UNEP 2010 ).
Practically speaking, a green economy is one