Crop production in the Philippines will drop by 1.7 percent and put an additional 2 million people at risk of hunger due to climate change, “particularly troublesome in light of the Philippines’ growing population,” forecast to reach 142 million by 2045, said the think tank International Food Policy Research Institute. “Research also shows that effective policies can reduce those impacts.”
Some 3.1 million Filipino families experienced either occasional or chronic hunger, according to a survey last spring, said ABC-CBN News based in Quezon City. The hunger rate of 13.7 percent was up from 11.7 percent in a quarterly survey taken in December.
Agriculture provides one-third of the jobs in the Philippines, making mitigation of climate change important, said Mark Rosegrant, lead author of an IFPRI study on the outlook in the island country. Corn and rice yields would rise despite climate change if growers make optimal use of fertilizer, plant drought- and heat-resistant seeds or change planting dates, said IFPRI. Without action, crop output will fall and food prices would rise.