The availability of and access to food requires resilient food systems and value chains.

Food security is directly influenced by climate variability and, increasingly, by climate change. Periods of heavy rainfall, for example, can reduce crop yields and destroy critical infrastructure. Although some countries have established early warning systems to predict and prepare for periods of food insecurity caused by such events, overall, their current policies and measures tend to be reactive rather than preventative. This reactive approach is the result of limited knowledge about the underlying factors that enable food systems and communities to absorb climate shocks and stresses without undergoing emergency situations. For food systems and communities to be truly food secure and climate resilient, we require both a better understanding of these underlying factors and new ways to monitor how they change over time.

We seek to improve climate resilience and food security through an understanding of the factors that influence the resilience of food systems to climate shocks and stresses. Our experts develop practical indicators to monitor such factors at both the community and national levels. We also work with governments and communities to improve our understanding of how policies affect the climate resilience of food systems.