ABSTRACT
Given the prevalence of food insecurity worldwide and the contribution of food systems to global environmental change (GEC), modern food systems need to be adapted to enhance food security and minimize negative environmental feedbacks. In addition, the GEC impacts (both positive and negative) on food systems and food security heighten the need for action to adapt to future change over the long term. Although adaptation in ecosystems has long been studied, and numerous researchers have documented adaptive rural livelihood strategies to manage environmental and other change, the concentration on planned adaptation of complex, globalized food systems to unprecedented and GEC is relatively new. As with studies of vulnerability, multiple approaches have led to a variety of conclusions. Chiefly some studies have been more actor-oriented rather than systems-focused (Nelson et al, 2007), which has led to differences in both conceptual frameworks and evaluation of ‘successful’ adaptation. Some have viewed adaptation as about reducing current risks while others have focused more on managing future and highly uncertain change (Eakin et al, 2009). Most researchers now recognize that high adaptive capacity of actors or individual units will not lead to pro-active adaptation strategies alone, as higher level institutional and policy reforms are also needed (Adger et al, 2007). Adaptation is an ongoing learning process (Armitage et al, 2008), which may ultimately lead to transformations of undesirable systems (Walker et al, 2004; Lebel et al, 2006).
