Climate change remains a global challenge due to the livelihood threat it poses particularly to the marginalized or vulnerable groups in society. Though developing countries contribute the least to the cause of climate change, they remain the most vulnerable to its effects. This vulnerability is due to the over-reliance of the population on rain-fed agriculture as the main livelihood source. These, mainly smallholder farmers, lack institutional, technological, infrastructural, and economic capabilities to adapt to climate change. In addition to this, there are wide disparities in the allocation of key sustainable livelihood assets (e.g., land, livestock, farm equipment, etc.) among men, women, and youth. For instance, women often have limited access to land, financial services, social capital, technology, labour, education, and other opportunities mainly due to traditional/cultural sex divisions within the domestic realm. Moreover, the majority of the resource-poor youth are employed in the agricultural sector, rendering them more vulnerable to climate uncertainties. The impact of climate change on these groups (men, women, youth, and smallholders) is expected to be different. Studies that fail to acknowledge these differences and focus only on geographical location could be misleading.

Recent climate change scenarios indicate substantial reductions in the yield of staple foods linked to drought, high temperature, and rainfall variability with a projected overall decline in revenue from agriculture. These projected negative impacts would directly influence food security and render millions of households undernourished. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, between 720 and 828 million people across the globe are already experiencing chronic hunger. Additionally, about 161 million children below five years of age are stunted.

A dramatic change in global food and agricultural systems is required to attain food and nutrition security amid climate uncertainties. Such systems must be climate change compliant, capable of ensuring ecosystem sustainability, effective in building farmers’ resilience and adaptability to climate shocks, and efficient in improving crop productivity. The differential rates of exposure and vulnerability levels manifested along gender, social, physical ability, and poverty lines demand climate-resilient and sustainable food system interventions that target the most vulnerable groups within the society to ensure food equity.

This Research Topic invites authors to submit articles on the following themes:
1. Identifying marginalized and vulnerable groups that are at particular risk from climate change
2. Differential impact of climate change and adaptive capacity of the marginalized or vulnerable groups
2. Climate-resilient pathways for vulnerable groups
3. Sustainable food production systems and food security of vulnerable groups
4. Vulnerability assessment and climate change adaptation strategies nexus
5. Climate management options for vulnerable groups

Any other articles related to improving the resilience and adaptivity of vulnerable groups in agriculture to climate change could be considered based on their rigor, quality, comprehensiveness, and contribution to knowledge.
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Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

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