Food security in southern Africa is an elusive goal. Even without the impacts of climate change, agricultural systems are not meeting the needs of large numbers of people, and half the region’s population may be defined as undernourished. While the role of food production as one component of food security is clear, the other components (availability, access, utilisation) are still poorly understood.
This brief focuses more on the impacts of climate on production, and further work is required to develop understanding and policy responses to climate impacts on the other food security components (Ziervogel and Ericksen, 2010).
Recommended citation: Drimie, S., 2011. Climate change, agriculture and food security in southern Africa: The need for policy alignment. Policy Brief No. 1, Regional Climate Change Programme for Southern Africa (RCCP), UK Department for International Development. OneWorld Sustainable Investments, Cape Town.
