Free trade can prevent hunger due to climate change

Researchers from the bio-economics department at the KU Leuven investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate change. The conclusion is clear: international trade can relieve regional food shortages and reduce hunger, particularly where protectionist measures and other barriers to trade are eliminated. Climate change has consequences for agriculture worldwide, with clear differences between regions. Sufficient food will remain available in the Northern hemisphere, but in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, falling crop yields may lead to higher food prices and a sharp rise in hunger. Further liberalisation of world trade can relieve these regional differences: "If regions like Europe and Latin America, for example, where wheat and corn thrive, increase their production and export the food to regions under heavy pressure from the warming of the Earth, food shortages can be reduced," says doctoral researcher Charlotte Janssens. "It sounds quite obvious, but there are a great many barriers that complicate this free trade." - Tariffs and infrastructure. Import tariffs are a major barrier to international trade in food.