Alter lands in agricultural production

Ultimately, lands may become more or less suitable for agricultural production in the future. Some lands may become unsuitable for agriculture, particularly in areas that become substantially hotter or drier, necessitating a change to other land uses (Rosenzweig et al. 2014). At the same time, warmer conditions may increase the viability of agricultural commodities in other areas, particularly farther north, and allow for expanded production (Rosenzweig et al. 2014). While many of these changes will occur at large spatial scales and be affected by national and global policies, individual producers and landowners will make the decisions about site-level production (Smit et al. 1999; Neil Adger et al. 2005).

Beyond deliberate changes in farm commodities and practices, there may be a need for wholesale change within agricultural systems due to the degree of change observed in a particular place. While agriculture has been able to largely adapt to recent changes in climate, substantial pressures from climate change and associated socioeconomic changes will create substantial challenges in coming decades (Hatfield et al. 2014). This strategy touches on actions to respond to severely changed conditions in a way that anticipates continued change and uncertainty in the future.