POVERTY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The people we support in different countries have had little impact on global warming, however, they are affected the most. This is particularly true for farmers who live and work in the most fragile environments and lack the financial resources to deal with the effects of weather climate shocks.
United States, European Union, China, and other top polluters are responsible for more than 68% of worldwide emissions, while the world’s 500 million small farms account for just 5%. However, farmers are hit first and hardest by climate change, ranging from more prevalent pests and diseases to lower livestock productivity and higher rates of post-harvest losses.
There are 2.4 billion farmers in the world, which account for more than half of the world’s poor. These farmers may work on small portions of land, but they have a large impact: Smallholder farmers produce a third of the world’s food.
Unfortunately, a combination of rising temperatures, soil degradation, increased storms, and severe droughts and floods has changed the nature of farming.
Therefore, farmers experience an increase in crop failures and a reduction in agricultural yields and incomes, which leads to weakened food security for low-income communities worldwide.
There is global agreement on the need to increase adaptation for smallholder farmers; however, only 5% of global climate investment is directed toward adaptation. Studies show that climate change will push more than 125 million people into extreme poverty by 2030.
In sub-Saharan Africa, reduced agricultural yields and subsequent rising prices are expected to be the greatest drivers of increased poverty.
At Hope Donors, we believe there is much more to do to ensure farmers can survive and thrive.