The challenge of achieving food security while also limiting climate change to 1.5°C

Written by Rasheed Eyitayo-Olonade

Achieving food security, and reducing the devastating effects of climate change, are both demanded by the Sustainable Development Goals. To combine these two important goals together will be challenging. Countries will have to think about the effects on civilians, and the economic implications, of addressing climate change at the same time as food security. 

An important example is fertiliser production. Most fertiliser production currently involves the consumption of non-renewable resources. For example, the Haber process produces ammonia, on which many countries depend for crop fertilisation to promote plant growth. Despite this process having a range of advantages on the growth of a variety of crops, it produces carbon dioxide from the reforming of natural gas. If we tried to incorporate the idea of reducing climate change with increasing food security, we would have to find alternative methods of producing fertilisers. At the same time, if we continue to produce fertilisers from non-renewable resources, then we will not achieve long-term food security as fossil fuels are finite resources.

However, if we use renewable resources to produce fertilisers, for example biofuels or the electrolysis of water, we could achieve food security without adding to climate change. The only aspect of the combination of the two plans is that food security will be obtained potentially more slowly, but will be indefinite.