The NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) and The HEAD Foundation concluded its joint series, “In the Wake of a Changing Climate”, with its fourth and final webinar titled “Securing our Food for Tomorrow” on 15 September 2021.
The webinar featured a panel of international experts – Prof. David Lobell, Gloria and Richard Kushel Director at Stanford University’s Centre on Food Security and the Environment; Prof. Harini Nagendra, Director of Research Centre at Azim Premji University; and Dr. Stéphane Hallegatte, Lead Economist of the World Bank Climate Change Group. The panellists discussed the impact of climate change and COVID-19 on the Asia Pacific’s food security, notably the fact that disasters, flooding, and lockdowns were putting supply chains and food supplies at risk. Potential solutions to mitigate these risks were also explored during the dialogue. The session was moderated by the Director of NUS CNCS, Prof. Koh Lian Pin.
Some key takeaways include: climate change can lead to slowed agricultural productivity and growth, which in turn can lead to food insecurity. Conversely, rising agricultural demands can drive expansion, resulting in deforestation in some cases, which in turn can exacerbate climate change through land use change-related carbon emissions. COVID-19’s impact on poverty is just as large as climate change, however there are opportunities to address this by managing the recovery from COVID-19 with broader resilience goals.
The webinar presented many more inspiring ideas and insightful exchanges among the panellists, in addition to several thought-provoking questions from the audience. We invite you to watch the full recording of the webinar to learn more.
The HEAD Foundation and NUS CNCS sincerely thank the webinar panellists and attendees from 15 countries including Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, the US, Vietnam and Singapore for your support and participation.
*This series is jointly organised with the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the speakers in this webinar are their own and do not represent the opinions of The HEAD Foundation.
