GLOBAL CHANGE IN Africa: CLIMATE CHANGE AND LARGE SCALE LAND ACQUISITION

Concerns over climate change and future food and energy security have combined to heighten demand for agricultural land. In order to increase the agricultural resources under their control, many countries and investors have acquired more than 40 Mha of land in the global South. In targeted countries, these large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) have brought rapid and substantial changes, affecting food security, rural livelihoods and the environment. One significant impact of LSLAs is the water demand associated with a transition to commercial agriculture. While this aspect is well understood under current conditions, how climate change may affect crop water demand remains unclear. Here we examine the land deals of Africa - the region most targeted by LSLAs - and quantify the impact of climate change on acquired water resources. While climate will impact major crop yields, we find that crop water demand will remain fairly constant under a variety of future climate conditions.