Award details

FACCE-JPI Knowledge Hub: MACSUR-Partner 154

Reference	BB/N004930/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Richard Tiffin
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Reading
Department	Sch of Agriculture Policy and Dev
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	35,391
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	22/09/2015
End date	21/09/2017
Duration	24 months

Abstract

XC8 will build on recent work co-ordinated by the Global Food Security programme which has developed extreme weather scenarios using climate models. The scenarios will provide a framework for considering the impacts of such events in Europe. Some indicative modelling will be conducted but the main focus will be identifying opportunities for more comprehensive modelling studies to be conducted.

Summary

FACCE MACSUR focuses on modelling European agriculture with climate change for food security. The work is organized in three themes on crop, livestock and trade modelling. The partnership consists of 73 partners from 16 countries all over Europe. The core scientific activity of MACSUR2 continuing from MACSUR1, will be to maintain up-to-date results on climate impacts on agriculture and food security in line with selected core global socio-economic and climate scenarios until 2050. These results will serve as point of reference for additional socioeconomic or climate scenarios, models at sub-national scales, and assessing specific adaptation or mitigation options by groups within MACSUR but also by external groups. There is little effort directed at modelling the impacts of extreme weather events on the agrifood system. This may in part be because the interactions between climate extremes and the agrifood system are complex and understanding the significance of short term weather variability for society as a whole is still limited. The impacts will depend on (i) the effects of climate variability and extremes on primary production, be that crop or livestock, and (ii) on the way human actors and the food system respond by adapting to current and future climate risks. The food system has a degree of resilience: it is able to recover and deliver the demands of society within a reasonable period of time. The capacity for such adjustment is at present poorly understood however. The University of Reading will build capacity and understanding of approaches to conduct impact assessments for extreme events. We will be to develop a number of meaningful scenarios which can illustrate the way in which the food system will respond to an event. This will help to inform where modelling is needed to improve our understanding.

Impact Summary

The project aims to improve our understanding of the uncertainties surrounding the ways in which European agriculture will adapt to and mitigate climate change. It is therefore of direct relevance to policy makers and the producers and users of food in the European Union. The project is very high profile and is certain to attract considerable interest from these communities as continues. In order to ensure that we able to meet this demand for information we will integrate dissemination within the project. A website has been developed and stakeholders are increasingly involved in the major events of the project.

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Systems Biology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security & Climate Change (FACCE JPI) [2012-2014]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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