World Bank warns of 'climate chaos'

September 03, 2008: AN expert from the World Bank has warned that "climate chaos" will affect farmers around the globe, and called for a revolution in sustainable agriculture.

Katherine Sierra, the World Bank's vice president for sustainable development, told a Canberra audience that action was needed for the sake of future generations.

Climate change would lead to droughts, floods, more outbreaks of pests and disease, heat stress among livestock, and a reduction in arable land, she said. And all this when the world's population was tipped to rise to 10 billion.

"We know that climate change will significantly affect agriculture and forestry systems," Ms Sierra told a conference in Parliament House today.

"Developing countries are likely to suffer the earliest - and the most - from ... what some are calling climate chaos."

The land available to grow the world's staple food crops would shrink - in some cases dramatically - by mid-century, Ms Sierra warned.

The world had dropped the ball on agricultural research and this had cost farmers dearly. A revolution in research was now needed.

Improved cereal seeds - tolerant to drought, flood and salinity - would be central, Ms Sierra said. Hardier varieties must be found for less common crops such as roots and legumes, and for staples like maize.

Tropical fruits and medicinal herbs should be researched, as these could prove fruitful for poorer communities in a changing climate.

More research was also needed on mapping the genes of key crops.

Smarter ways of managing soil and water were needed. Minimum tillage and the use of planting basins - shallow land depressions to concentrate moisture and nutrients - were good examples.

On a positive note, Ms Sierra said climate change could increase plant growth and improve the way some plants used water, although this was yet to be verified in the field.

Ms Sierra called on her audience to help achieve a revolution in agricultural research.

She was speaking to a conference organised by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering's Crawford Fund.