1 Food Security and Climate Change: Some Evidences on their Dynamics and Policy Responses 1 by Fatimah Mohamed Arshad Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor, Malaysia Tel: 603 8947 1070 Fax: 603 8947 1077 Email: fatimah@econ.upm.edu.my ABSTRACT This paper examines the patterns of policy response to the 2008 food security crisis which was largely caused by adverse weather situation in the producing countries besides other structural and technical factors. The dynamics of the food security under changing climate is examined to provide some understanding for the policy stance of the countries involved. The world food market is highly volatile in tune with the change of weather and natural calamities that affected supply in the face of ever growing demand. The rice market in particular is highly vulnerable to weather as the marketable surplus is extremely thin at 7% of domestic production and weather resilient variety has not been developed after the success of Green Revolution in the 1960s. The supply sector poses a difficult challenge to most countries. However, the threat of global climate change goes beyond supply in that it affects the ecology of the food system and hence the welfare of society at large. The 2008 food crisis is a case in point that truly reflects how countries affected by the crisis, producers and consumers alike, responded to ensure food security in their home country amidst weather uncertainty. In general the responses were short term in nature and indicated an “inward” and protective regime measures to ensure immediate food security need rather than sustainable food production. An integrated policy framework is needed for these countries to address the threat of climate change in the future to achieve a sustainable food security. INTRODUCTION The World Food Summit in 1996 defined food security as existing when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (FAO, 2003). In short, regardless of weather, a country must ensure “food security” to its population. To some economies particularly less developed ones, this is a tall order indeed. Rice, which is the major staple food of most Asian countries, is highly vulnerable and susceptible to weather changes. The availability of cheaper grains and food in the world market disincentivies most developing countries including those in Asia, from investing enough in food sector particularly in the R&D and infrastructures. After the success of the Green Revolution in the 1960s, little innovations and breakthroughs created causing slow productivity growth in most countries. Hence, a short term supply shock due to adverse weather in major producing countries was enough to create a serious deficit in a thinly traded rice supply and hence a worldwide food 1 Paper presented in the International Conference on Food Safety and Security under Changing Climate (FCC2010) organised by Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research (CEFSR), Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), SELAMAT sustainable network (SS-NW) and Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Parkroyal Hotel, Penang, Malaysia, December 6-7, 2010.