Impacts of Climate Change on Food Availability: Distribution and Exchange of Food

Food availability is determined by the physical quantities of food that are produced (previous section), stored, processed, distributed, and exchanged. In fact, most food is not produced by individual households, but acquired through buying, trading, and borrowing (Du Toit and Ziervogel 2004). Food distribution refers to how food is made available (physically moved), in what form, when, and to whom; food exchange refers to how much of the available food is obtained through exchange mechanisms such as barter, trade, purchase, or loans (Ingram 2011). That is, the food availability element does not only depend on food production, and other social and economical factors need also to be considered. For instance, distribution networks (e.g., roads, communication, modes of transport, and information systems) and the financial situation of governments and consumers determine the ability to get imports/movements inside a deficit country and/or area. The storage and handling capacity is important for physical food reserves. Also, high market prices for food are usually a reflection of inadequate availability. Growing scarcities of water, land, and fuel are likely to put increasing pressure on food prices, even without climate change. Policies related to climate change, such as mitigation practices that create land-use competition and the attribution of market value to environmental services to mitigate climate change, have the potential to cause changes in relative prices for different food items, and therefore increase in price volatility (FAO 2008).Peer reviewe