1. Agricultural and Food System—Global Change Nexus: Dynamics and Policy Implications

Agricultural and food system can unequivocally be described as major agent of global change since it has been responsible for more environmental externalities than any other technology in a variety of ways. This system has also had a major impact on humanity, notably through the process of development with which it is intimately associated. In the meantime, the converse aspect of the relationship between agriculture, environment, and people means that the environmental, socioeconomic, and technological developments have had, and will continue to have, repercussions for agricultural and food system. Thus, the real agricultural and food challenges of the future will differ according to their geopolitical and socio-economic contexts. From a policy viewpoint, however, it is also critical to understand the degree to which agriculturally related activities may contribute to global-scale environmental change and the extent to which policies to prevent, mitigate, or adapt to environmental change may themselves affect agriculture and food security. With reference to this multidimensional approach, the present chapter analyses the interactions between agriculture and global environmental change and highlights the related dynamics pertaining to socio-economic drivers, science and technology. Policy implications are underlined within the perspective of making these interactions sustainable and human security-oriented.