Our farmers and the World Meteorological Organisation

Do you know that 13 of the 14 warmest years on record have happened since our calendars went from 1999 to the year 2000?

Our country has become increasingly familiar with extreme weather. In places like the Free State and North West we saw drought that devastated the prospects of farmers and reduced them to tears -- and then came floods which caused millions of rands damage! The eastern parts of the country only had floods.

The United Nations' World Meteorological Organisation released its annual report today which confirms a disquietening trend of droughts and floods and extreme weather around the world.

Climate change and global warming is one of the chapters in The Agri Handbook.

Eating while the planet warms up

2013 is one of the 10 warmest years since records began, says the World Meteorological Organisation. But doesn't the planet go through natural cycles of climate change? Hasn't it done so for centuries. What is the fuss about climate change?

In the past these changes happened over hundreds of years allowing plants and animals to adapt. What we are noticing is a speeding up of change, leaving less time to adapt and placing our ecosystems in danger.

Agriculture faces the challenge of dramatically increasing production of food to feed the expected nine-billion people on this planet by 2050. Climate change is a wildcard thrown into the mix.

The Third Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change is to be held in South Africa this December. Find information at http://afcconference.agric.za.

Climate change is a chapter in The Agri Handbook for South Africa. Find role players and information there.