ABSTRACT
Climate change is a global challenge and the associated variability of climatic conditions may have a huge impact on the occurrence of risks associated with food safety and protection. It accounts for various stages of the food chain, from primary production through to consumption, which further exacerbates health disparities in human beings. There are numerous pathways and climate-related factors like changes in temperature, erratic precipitation, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, ocean warming and acidification, and changes in contaminant transport pathways which impact food safety and protection. Additionally, it also influences socio-economic aspects linked with food systems such as agriculture, animal production, global trade, demographics and human behavior. Developing countries like India are more impacted as millions of people are mostly dependent on natural ecosystems, agriculture and fisheries for their livelihood. Additionally, due to lack of financial support and poor technology the impacts are more severe in developing countries as compared to developed ones. Thus, the present paper aims to review the potential impacts of climate change on food contamination and safety at various stages of the food chain. It also identifies different adaptation strategies and measures to address food safety implications of climate change. The paper concludes that more emphasis should be given to switching to organic foods for a healthy life and the research needed in this sector must be prioritized. Additionally, international and inter-sectoral collaborations will bring a clear understanding of food safety-related issues and changing situations. This in turn will further help in developing and implementing adaptation strategies, interventions and policies to address emerging risks caused by the change in climate.
