Impact of climate change on food security in the Philippines
Although climate change is commonly known to lead to more frequent and more extreme adverse weather conditions, such a droughts and floods, it is also responsible for shifts in weather patterns. Without proper scientific guidance as rainfall, humidity and average temperatures change, farmers are left confused as to when to plant crops, affecting food security.
PEP's Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Network Team* collaborated with the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations under the first phase (2012-2015) of the "Assessments of Climate Change Impacts, and Mapping of Vulnerability to Food Insecurity under Climate Change to Strengthen Household Food Security with Livelihoods Adaptation Approaches" (AMICAF) program.
AMICAF uses a multi-disciplinary assessment approach to address climate change impacts and adaptation planning as part of a larger aim to improve food security.
This technical collaboration between the CBMS Network Team and the FAO aimed to analyze the impact of climate change on food security in the Philippines. In particular, the project aimed to:
- Examine how vulnerable households in the Philippines to the impacts of climate change on food security
- Prepare a profile of vulnerable groups
- Process and analyze available regional, provincial, municipal/city and household level indicators of vulnerability to food insecurity
- Identify channels and indicators of the impacts of climate change on food security
- Assess the relative efficiency of different policy tools or adaptation measures simulating a range of policy options
- Disseminate findings and recommendations to key stakeholders.
Key findings
The researchers in the Philippines found that significantly increased or unstable rainfall, or extremely cold or extremely hot temperatures would likely lead to increased vulnerability to food insecurity and malnourished children. However, provided that rainfall does not increase or decrease by more than 10 percent, vulnerability to malnutrition would be reduced. Similarly, if temperatures increase by one degree, crop farming income increases and again, vulnerability is reduced.
The study also shed light on the characteristics of families who are never food insecure, transient food insecure and chronically food insecure. Chronically food insecure families tend to live in rural areas, have less access to (agricultural) assets, and be more dependent on crop farming.
To read more about this research project and findings, download the team’s Final Technical Report
*The CBMS Network Team is based at the Angelo King Institute of De La Salle University in Manila, the Philippines.
