Climate Change + Our Food

 We’ve been seeing a lot of noise happening in the headlines about how poorly our farmers are being treated globally. This needs to stop. They are the cornerstones of our modern world and the way we are treating them showcases just how discounted we are from our food systems.

📸 The Overall Picture  

Climate change significantly impacts food production through a combination of altered weather patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and shifts in the distribution of pests and diseases. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns disrupt growing seasons, affecting crop yields. For instance, warmer temperatures can lead to heat stress on crops, reducing their productivity and nutritional quality. Shifts in rainfall patterns, such as prolonged droughts or excessive rainfall, can further impair crop growth and soil health, leading to reduced agricultural output. These changes can compromise food security, particularly in regions highly dependent on agriculture.

☔️ Extreme Weather

Extreme weather events, such as cyclones, floods, fires and droughts, are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, posing direct threats to food production. Flooding can inundate farmlands, washing away topsoil and nutrients essential for crop growth, while droughts can lead to water shortages, making irrigation difficult and reducing crop viability. These events not only destroy crops but also disrupt supply chains, leading to food shortages and increased prices. Livestock is also affected, with heat stress reducing animal productivity and extreme events damaging infrastructure needed for their care.

🦟 Oh Pests…

Climate change also alters the distribution and behaviour of pests and diseases, which can devastate crops and livestock. Warmer temperatures and changing precipitation patterns create favourable conditions for pests and pathogens to thrive and expand into new areas. For example, invasive species that previously could not survive in certain regions are now spreading, bringing new challenges to farmers unprepared for these threats. Additionally, changes in ecosystems and biodiversity can disrupt the balance between pests and their natural predators, exacerbating the impact on food production. Recently, in the south coast of NSW where I live, we had an outbreak of a bovine disease caused by mosquitoes that had never travelled to this area. Case studies like this are happening all over the world, hurting farmers’ livelihoods. Addressing these challenges requires adapting agricultural practices, developing resilient crop varieties, and implementing integrated pest management strategies to sustain food production in a changing climate.

Sustainable Living Tips

With everything our amazing farmers are facing, this week I think it’s crucial to look at how we can support them in our day to day.

🐮 Purchasing and Supporting Local Agriculture

🥦 Buy Local and Seasonal Produce: Support farmers by purchasing locally-grown, seasonal produce from farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or local grocery stores. This not only provides direct financial support to farmers but also reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance food transportation.

🌾 Participate in Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA): Join a CSA program where you can subscribe to receive regular boxes of fresh produce directly from local farms. This provides farmers with a reliable income stream and helps you access fresh, seasonal produce.

📢 Advocacy and Awareness

👩🏽‍🌾 Advocate for Farmer-Friendly Policies: Engage in local and national advocacy efforts to support policies that benefit farmers. This can include writing to your representatives, participating in campaigns, and supporting organisations that work on agricultural policy issues. For example, right now you can be supporting the greens lawsuit against Woolworths. The supermarket giant has been undercutting farmers for years - it’s time to pay them what they deserve!

✨ Raise Awareness: Educate your community about the importance of supporting local farmers and the challenges they face due to climate change. Use social media, community events, and educational forums to spread the word and encourage others to take action.

🤝 Direct Engagement and Volunteerism

🚜 Volunteer on Farms: Offer your time to volunteer at local farms, especially during peak seasons. Many small-scale farms appreciate extra hands for planting, harvesting, and other farm tasks. This can provide valuable support to farmers and give you firsthand experience of the agricultural process.

🕺🏼 Support Farmer Markets and Events: Attend and support local farmers' markets, fairs, and agricultural events. Your presence and purchases help sustain these important community hubs where farmers sell their products and connect with consumers.

ThredUp

Omg I’m obsessed with this thrift store. There is this amazing function that allows you to look up pieces in a photo, so you can pull cute outfits off of Pinterest or IG, plug them into the site and then it will pull any thrifted items to match. So cool!!

🐓 Waitrose in the UK is supporting farmers moving to regenerative agricultural practices.

🎊 Scientists develop a bacteria that can digest plastic.

👀 Australia will decide on its product stewardship policies for producers in July.