If the USDA did not participate and attend, it needs to get a copy of the proceedings. I would expect the USDA to take a global leadership role. The USA has fed the world for a long time. Now, it is up to First World countries to be sure all countries are capable of farming and where modifications need to be made to insure that capacity.
The United Nations is not just about war and peace. It also has a broader scope to insure people are surviving and preferably thriving. I would think the USDA would have at least addressed the UN once to contribute the views of American Agriculture.
This isn't just about temperature and the Sixth Extinction. It is about sustainability and life.
February 14, 2016
Global market integration (click here) is key to buffering future commodity prices and food security from the negative effects of climate change on agriculture, says a Purdue University agricultural economist.
Rising temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events will likely have adverse impacts on global crop production, leading to higher food prices and food scarcity. But global markets that have the ability to deliver food where it is needed most could help offset these consequences, said Thomas Hertel, distinguished professor of agricultural economics.
"If the pessimists are right, if we see the worst-case climate impacts in agriculture, what could we do in terms of economic adaptation?" he said. "Trade agreements could significantly moderate some of the worst effects on food security."
Hertel will present his research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Sunday (Feb. 14) at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park.
His talk, "The Underlying Climate Mechanisms of International Food Trade," is part of the symposium "Climate Change and Agriculture: Revisiting the Evidence and Potential Solutions."
Global agriculture stands to suffer under future climate change. A predicted increase in the frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods could buffet crop yields over the next few decades. But short-term climate impacts will vary by crop and region, Hertel said, with some areas benefiting as crop production shifts geographically....
