The Hill: U.S. leadership at Paris climate talks critical to future of agriculture
Douglas Bereuter and Dan Glickman, both former U.S. representatives and current co-chairs of the Global Agricultural Development Initiative at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

“…[T]he United States must lead for the world in acting to adapt and mitigate [climate change]. … [W]e co-chaired a report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2014 that examined ways to achieve food security in the face of climate change. Our top finding then remains our top recommendation now: make agriculture central to any agreement on climate change. For COP21 Paris to be a success, and for American farmers to thrive long into the future, the United States must lead on climate change and must see to it that Paris ends in an actionable agreement. Likewise, the U.S. agriculture community and consumers alike ought to support efforts to mitigate climate change. It is critical to ensuring that the future of agriculture — in the United States and around the world — thrives” (12/4).

Huffington Post: A Pledge to Tackle Climate Change is a Pledge to Feed the World
Jason Clay, executive director of the Markets Institute at World Wildlife Fund

“…[C]limate change is contributing not just to melting ice caps and rising sea levels, but also to drought, food shortages and, ultimately, to global instability. As illustrated around the world, humanity’s future hinges in large part on our ability to feed a growing and increasingly urban and wealthy population amid variable and extreme weather conditions. … While producers, consumers, financial institutions, the scientific community, and the world’s most powerful food companies all share a responsibility in tackling these challenges, it will take the political will of global leaders to drive a global climate change agenda. We must move beyond isolated crises from one country or region to the next and pledge to address the climate challenges that threaten global food security and the wellbeing of our planet. This year’s climate change conference is a critical step toward our global leaders realizing this long-awaited commitment” (12/4).

Huffington Post: Will Climate Change Break the Global Food System?
David MacLennan, chair and CEO of Cargill, and Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund

“…The [global food] system has enough resilience to absorb shocks. But add population growth, failed states, armed conflict, and political instability to the mix and the picture starts looking a lot more combustible. … Food security … is often under-appreciated in climate discussions. It shouldn’t be. What we’ve already seen in recent years should serve as a warning. Increased volatility is the new normal. It’s not a matter of whether some hotspots will erupt, but when. It’s up to all of us to be ready to respond. … The longer we go without action, the deeper the problem will get and the more disruptive the measures we’ll ultimately need to take. We can meet the challenges ahead, but we must get started now, so we can avoid frantic steps at the eleventh hour” (12/7).