Impact of Global Change on Agriculture

Typical Exam Questions

1. Observed climate scenarios, global climate models, and sensitivity studies are three ways of evaluating possible future climate change. Discuss what is meant by internal consistency and state which of these methods are internally consistent.

2. What is the "dumb farmer" approach to assessing the impact of climate change on agriculture? Give two examples of how the "dumb farmer" approach overestimates the negative consequences of climate change on agriculture.

3. What is the goal of sustainable agriculture?

4. Define sustainable agriculture and distinguish how it differs from conventional or industrial agriculture.

5. There likely will be winners and losers in agricultural production under climate change.

List two nations that likely will be winners and state why.
List two nations that likely will be losers and state why.
Discuss the equity issues that arise in consideration of perpetrators and winners/losers in climate change.

6. We discussed the steps in translating information about changes in greenhouse gases into information about changes in global food supplies. Discuss these steps and give your view on the step that introduces the most uncertainty.