Publication

Climate change poses a serious risk to global food security and agriculture. Nowhere is this issue more pressing than in China, as identified in China's First National Communication to the UNFCCC, published in 2004 (presented at COP 10, NDRC, 2004).

Climate change impacts research has a long history in China, with early examples supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) during China’s 8th (1991- 1995) and 9th (1996-2000) five-year planning periods. Major reviews have been produced such as the recent ‘National Climate Change Assessment Report’ (EBNCCA, 2007), and there is a growing body of literature on impacts across sectors. However, climate change adaptation research and the linkage between impacts, adaptation and decision-making processes is a new and emerging area.

This briefing outlines the key research highlights to date on the impacts of climate change on agriculture. This work is part of the ongoing research by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS) for the Adapting to Climate Change in China (ACCC) Project. It also highlights key findings from a recently published review on the effects of climate variability and change on Chinese agriculture.