Week 6 assignment – the impact of climate change on food security

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Overview

The United Nations (UN) has hired you as a consultant, and your task is to assess the impact that global warming is expected to have on population growth and the ability of societies in the developing world to ensure the adequate security of their food supplies.

Case Assessment

As the world’s population nears 10 billion by 2050, the effects of global warming are stripping some natural resources from the environment. As they diminish in number, developing countries will face mounting obstacles to improving the livelihoods of their citizens and stabilizing their access to enough food. The reason these governments are struggling even now is that our climate influences their economic health and the consequent diminishing living standards of their peoples. Climate changes are responsible for the current loss of biodiversity as well as the physical access to some critical farming regions. As such, these changes in global weather patterns diminish agricultural output and the distribution of food to local and international markets. These difficulties will become even more significant for these countries as the Earth’s climate changes for the worse. Temperatures are already increasing incrementally, and polar ice caps are melting, so the salient question is: what does this suggest for developing societies?

The issue before the developing world is not its lack of food, but rather how to gain access to food. Simply put, changes in our climate are affecting the global food chain, and hence, the living standards of entire populations. Added to this is the fact that food is not getting to where it is needed in time to prevent hunger or starvation. In many developing countries, shortages are due to governments’ control over distribution networks rather than an insufficient supply of food itself. In effect, these governments are weaponizing food by favoring certain ethnic or religious groups over others. When added to dramatic climate changes that we are experiencing even now, the future for billions of poor people looks increasingly dim.

Instructions

You are to write a minimum of a 5 page persuasive paper for the UN that addresses the following questions about the relationship between atmospheric weather patterns and food security in the developing world:

Climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same phenomenon. What are the differences between the two concepts and what leads to the confusion between them?
In 1900, the average global temperature was about 13.7° Celsius (56.7° Fahrenheit) (Osborn, 2021), but as of 2020, the temperature has risen another 1.2°C to 14.9°C (58.9°F). According to the Earth and climate science community, if the Earth’s surface temperature rises another 2°C (3.6°F), we will suffer catastrophic weather patterns that, among other things, will raise sea levels, cause widespread droughts and wildfires, result in plant, insect, and animal extinctions, and reduce agricultural productivity throughout the world (Mastroianni, 2015 and Lindsey & Dahlman, 2020). How much credibility do you place in these projections? Why?
There is no question that the Earth’s food sources are threatened by changes in its weather patterns, but what specific challenges does climate change pose to the food security of people in the developing world?
There is currently a debate among some multinational lending agencies like the International Monetary Fund, UNICEF, and AID over the financial support for food security has been misused by recipient government officials. On the other hand, U.S. authorities insist that misuse of its assistance is not occurring because it has strict monitoring oversight in place. What is your position on this matter? Is there evidence that financial assistance to developing governments is being widely misused by government officials?

Guidelines

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). For assistance and information, please refer to the SWS link in the left-hand menu of your course and check with your professor for any additional instructions.
In order to earn full credit, your paper must be divided into at least four full pages of content (one page to address each of the four questions above), and include at least a one-half page introduction and a one-half page conclusion – making a minimum total of five full pages of text.
You must use at least seven credible sources (excluding Wikipedia, dictionaries, and encyclopedias) that are appropriate for the subjects under discussion.
You must use only double-spacing and not place extra spacing between paragraphs or section headings.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is as follows:

Evaluate the impacts that climate changes are having on the growth of global populations and the security of their food sources.

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July 1, 2023

9.1 The United States in the International Economy

1) Following the tariff imposed on Chinese tires, some businesspeople correctly argued that the U.S. tariff would result in

A) China retaliating by raising tariffs on some U.S. exports.

B) China halting the sale of all products in the United States.

C) U.S. firms never being able to meet the demand for U.S.-produced tires.

D) the government demanding price cuts from U.S. tire manufacturers.

2) Workers in industries protected by tariffs and quotas are likely to support these trade restrictions because

A) they do not want to offend their employers who want them.

B) politicians lobby to convince workers the restrictions will make them better off.

C) they believe the restrictions will protect their jobs.

D) they don't understand that the restrictions will threaten their jobs.

3) The intention of the U.S. tariff on Chinese tires was to

A) protect jobs in the U. S. tire industry.

B) protect infant industries in tire U.S. tire market.

C) insure that Chinese tires meet U.S. quality and safety standards.

D) save the government money by restricting the sale of more expensive Chinese-made tires.

4) In the 1930s, the United States charged an average tariff rate ________. Today, the rate is ________.

A) of 100 percent; 20 percent

B) above 50 percent; less than 1.5 percent

C) of less than 10 percent; over 40 percent

D) of 17 percent; 33 percent

5) A tariff is a tax imposed by a government on

A) exports.

B) services.

C) imports.

D) luxury items.

6) Goods and services bought domestically but produced in other countries are referred to as

A) exports.

B) imports.

C) transfer payments.

D) foreign consumption.

7) Exports are domestically produced goods and services

A) sold to other countries.

B) sold to the government.

C) sold at home.

D) which are used to produce other goods and services.

8) When Roxanne, a U.S. citizen, purchases a designer dress from Barneys of New York that was made in Milan, the purchase is

A) both a U.S. and an Italian import.

B) a U.S. import and an Italian export.

C) a U.S. export and an Italian import.

D) neither an export nor an import for either country.

9) When BMW, a German company, purchases a welding machine that was made in Toronto, the purchase is

A) both a German and a Canadian import.

B) a German import and a Canadian export.

C) a German export and a Canadian import.

D) neither an export nor an import for either country.

10) Which of the following statements about the importance of trade to the U.S. economy is true?

A) Since 1950, both exports and imports have steadily decreased as a fraction of U.S. gross domestic product.

B) Overall, about 80 percent of U.S. manufacturing jobs depend directly or indirectly on exports.

C) The United States is the second largest exporter in the world.

D) The U.S. economy is highly dependent on international trade for growth in its gross domestic product.