The Nexus Between Agriculture, Cattle Breeding and Climate Change in The Island of Crete, Greece
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Climate change threatens human prosperity as it affects many economic sectors including food production. Agriculture, cattle breeding and climate change are interrelated and interconnected affecting each other. Agriculture in Crete was in the past an important pillar in the local economy while nowadays its role has been decreased. The linkages between food production and climate change in the island of Crete, Greece have been analyzed. It has been indicated that climate change affects crops, trees and cattle breeding in Crete. These impacts are mainly negative while the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration has positive impacts on plants’ photosynthesis and pastures’ productivity. Current agricultural and cattle breeding practices in the island have negative impacts on climate change increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, N2O and NH3. Therefore, climate change and food production in Crete are interconnected and interlinked affecting each other. Therefore, there is urgent need to develop policies and measures to reduce the impacts of agriculture and cattle breeding on climate change in the island and adapt the local food production systems to the new climate conditions. Our results could be useful to policy makers, public authorities and to all stakeholders of food production systems in the island.
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