Grace Meng: “My amendment adds language that recognizes the fundamental link between climate change and food security, as recognized…”

“My amendment adds language that recognizes the fundamental link between climate change and food security, as recognized in the Paris Agreement. The administration's plan to leave the Paris Agreement is a betrayal of America's global leadership and threatens food security for hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the world. Vulnerable communities, including children, the elderly, and low- income individuals, are at a greater risk of malnutrition or chronic hunger if the effects of climate change are not mitigated. According to the 2018 ``National Climate Assessment,'' climate change will lead to reduced agricultural productivity, and food production will decline in U.S. regions that experience increased frequency and duration of droughts, floods, and severe storms. Climate change will cause irreparable damage to New York's agriculture sector, which is the dominant ag State in the Northeast. According to the New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse, climate change may affect food production by increased heat stress days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which could stress livestock and some crops; increased river flooding, which is likely to cause soil erosion, soil loss, and crop damage; and wetter springs, which could delay planting for crops and reduce yields. These are just a few examples of how climate change may affect New York's agriculture sector. However, climate change isn't just an American problem.…”