Global food security in times of climate change

In times of climate change, global food security has become an increasingly pressing challenge that raises ecological and ethical questions as well as agricultural and economic ones. Agriculture, which is responsible for feeding more than eight billion people, is one of the drivers of climate change, but is also particularly affected by its impacts. The rise in average temperatures, the increase in pests and more frequent extreme weather events are threatening crop yields and agricultural productivity in many regions. Agriculture will therefore have to adapt to changing climatic conditions. In addition, competition for land, armed conflicts and extreme price fluctuations will further jeopardise food security for particularly vulnerable regions and people. Alongside the energy transition, the land use transition is therefore one of the largely neglected levels of the transformation of the economy and society. This involves, for example, the development of drought-resistant plant varieties (including using genetic engineering methods), more efficient irrigation systems and the optimisation of land use. In addition, it is important to improve access to food and distributive justice in order to ensure that all people in the world have access to sufficient food. In the dialogue between science and agribusiness, a common understanding of challenges and possible solutions should grow in order to achieve global food security while at the same time complying with the planetary boundaries. In addition to necessary political reforms, the importance of innovations and entrepreneurial approaches will be discussed and ethically reflected upon.