Climate Change and Agroecosystems: Key Issues and Research Directions.

The climate change issue has burst full force into the public domain. Much information is now extant, and more is generated continuously. However, the issue of its potential impacts on agriculture and food security in various regions is still uncertain. So are the possible strategies for mitigating and/or adapting to changes affecting the zonation and productivity of agriculture, as well as of natural ecosystems. Needed is a concise, responsible, coherent, and accessible presentation of the full spectrum of topics related to climate and agriculture. This session will present definitive state-of-the-art papers, elucidating what is known and what remains uncertain, what needs to be studied and how, as well as what options exist for mitigating or responding to the impending changes -- be they negative or positive insofar as they relate to agriculture and food security. The goal is to stimulate a rigorous examination of the key findings and research challenges ahead in regard to climate change and agriculture: potential impacts, adaptation, and mitigation strategies. Each participant will present an overview and analysis of a particular topic, followed by discussion of key questions and research directions. The papers will be brought together and published as The Handbook of Climate Change and Agroecosytems: Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation.