Fossil fuel dependence threatens food security

South Africa needs an integrated approach to food, energy and water to create a flourishing economy, according to a recent report released by World Wildlife Foundation South Africa. The report – The Food Energy Water Nexus: Understanding South Africa’s Most Urgent Sustainability Challenge – warns against the country’s continued dependence on fossil fuel as an energy source, pointing out that it contributes to climate change which not only raises the sea level, putting small island states at risk, but in southern Africa causes droughts. “The result is a massive risk to our food supply and growing levels of hunger in our already food-insecure nation,” said Tatjana von Bormann, who co-authored the report. “This report demonstrates that mitigating and adapting to climate change requires a coordinated approach in terms of energy, water and food security. The latest findings demonstrate that the impact of climate change, and the resultant extreme weather events, on crops have been underestimated. Here in South Africa the implications are an increased dependency on imports, higher prices and, consequently, less food security.” It is estimated a global average of 2˚C temperature rise will filter down into quite a significant impact for Africa – a 3-4˚C increase. As the rate of change is faster, it is harder for systems to respond, leaving South Africa particularly vulnerable. “The more we develop along traditional routes without considering the interconnections and tradeoffs in natural resources, the more climate change impacts we will suffer,” she said. According to the WWF report, adapting our food systems to climate change requires increased investment and an urgent and dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.