Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

There is an urgent need to find means by which societies can engage in difficult debates about how to ensure food security in a world threatened by dangerous levels of climate change, at the same time as making drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. There will be conflicts and trade-offs but also potential co-benefits between these twin objectives depending very much on the pathways chosen. Decision-making though is often highly technical and top-down and omits sections of society, especially the poorest. Food systems and the people in them are at the intersection of hunger, poverty, and environmental goals. Creating resilient food systems is central to climate change adaptation, but changing agriculture, land use and food systems to contribute to GHG mitigation will likely assume much greater importance particularly in light of the commitments in the Paris Agreement. Nigeria is an example of a country that has made great strides in food security whilst facing enormous challenges from climate change. The country made various emission reductions commitments but its current policies and future development trajectories contain contradictions that might endanger these goals. Agriculture, which provides the livelihoods for the majority of people, is responsible for 30% of overall emissions and may come under increasing pressure to deliver reductions. The planned revision of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution to GHG emissions reduction offers an opportunity for debate on choices and their implications. This research aims to design and test an inclusive and replicable process based on participatory scenarios.