UK aid to agriculture in a time of climate change

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We are conducting a review of UK aid to agriculture in a time of climate change. We have published our approach paper and we are currently gathering evidence. We expect to publish this review in summer 2023.

Summary

Since 2020 there has been dramatic progress towards reducing hunger globally. But progress has been set back in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflation and the global economic slowdown. The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022 report notes that after two decades of global hunger reduction, progress has almost come to a halt.

Growth in agricultural productivity has been a key factor for enabling progress towards ending hunger in recent decades. However, climate change is affecting food security, as increased temperatures, reduced rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events reduce crop yields.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, effective measures are needed to adapt to climate change to ensure food security. Measures are also needed to mitigate against some of the harmful effects of agricultural production, such as the release of greenhouse gas emissions.

This review will assess all UK aid support to agriculture, excluding forestry and fisheries, between 2016 and 2021.