Impacts of climate change on food utilization

Abstract

Climate change, one of the worlds most critical current and future challenges, is increasingly impacting food security, especially for the world's poor and vulnerable. Food utilization, one of the four dimensions of food security, pertains to the biological processing of food by individuals and is typically measured with nutritional indicators. The pathways through which climate change impacts food utilization can be summarized as diet and health. Current literature on these pathways is discussed, highlighting the need for a systems approach to food security that goes beyond promoting agricultural productivity and encompasses issues related to health and vulnerability, especially of women.