Impacts of Climate Change on Local Agriculture on Food Sovereingty

In this presentation, I will explore the concept of food sovereignty, emphasizing how climate change directly impacts the rights and needs of those who produce food, particularly small-scale farmers. Food sovereignty prioritizes sustainable agricultural practices by the local communities, which are increasingly threatened by shifting weather patterns, extreme climate events, and environmental degradation. Producers' control over the land and resources they rely on is essential for building resilience against these climate-driven challenges. This approach advocates for an inclusive food system that empowers local farmers to adapt to climate impacts, ensuring they maintain autonomy over their agricultural lands. Such control is crucial for promoting food security in the face of multiple stressors, such as climate change, economic instability, and social inequality, which together exacerbate both food insecurity and human insecurity.

It will also highlight the importance of community-based approaches to land management, focusing on case studies from Thailand and the Philippines. In these examples, local communities have adapted to climate challenges by managing agricultural land through community land rights, enabling more equitable access to resources and fostering local resilience. By securing land tenure and integrating sustainable agricultural practices, these communities have addressed some of the impacts of climate change on food insecurity. The case studies will demonstrate how local knowledge, when combined with land rights and climate-adaptive strategies, can lead to more sustainable and secure food systems, offering a model for other regions facing similar climate-related challenges.