Supporting short and medium term anticipatory action and policy development in climate security and food systems

DESCRIPTION: Impacts of climate-related disasters and shocks resonate across complex interactions involving food systems, threatening livelihoods, and affecting millions as urgent humanitarian situations evolve. Given the complex factors linking food, conflict, climate, and society, challenges remain around understanding and ensuring food systems resilience in the face of climate insecurity. Previous work predominantly focuses on longer timescales (years to decades), as gaps in our understanding of the interactions on short to medium timescales (days to months) persist. These gaps lead to uncertainty as to which, if any, actions are appropriate to advance anticipatory action in conflict settings. This project will expand applied climate security research related to food system resilience by conducting multidisciplinary research, convening events and workshops, and drafting climate shock-sensitive policies on anticipatory action. Our project is a collaborative effort driven by a cross-Columbia team, with external partners acting as Co-PIs to integrate these findings into their practice and policies. Project outputs will expand the knowledge base around climate security, contributing to how the Climate School and Columbia’s Fourth Purpose framing can address multidisciplinary, complex real-world challenges within disasters and emergencies. Given the growing interest in this space, current and future funding opportunities will be explored throughout for scaling potential.