Climate change is no longer a distant environmental threat. For millions of children around the world, it is already determining what they eat, how safely their food is produced, and whether they can grow, learn, and thrive.
This urgent reality was brought into sharp focus during a recent global virtual convening hosted by the Triple C (Children, Climate, and Conservation) Campaign, a flagship initiative of the Africa Community of Planetary Partners for Health and Environment (ACOPPHE). The session gathered experts from across regions to examine the critical links between child rights, climate change, food systems, health, and environmental protection.
One of the most compelling contributions came from Dr. Beatrice Kiage, Research Scientist in the Nutrition & Food Systems Unit at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), one of Africa’s leading independent research institutions. Her presentation, “Food is Fundamental for Flourishing Futures: Children’s Right to Food at the Nexus of Climate Change, Health, and Environmental Protection,” offered a powerful, evidence-based analysis of how climate change is undermining children’s fundamental right to adequate, safe, and nutritious food.
Why climate change is a child rights issue
Dr. Kiage framed climate change not only as an environmental or economic challenge, but as a direct violation of children’s rights to food and health. This perspective aligns with global calls from UNICEF, which has repeatedly warned that the climate crisis is fundamentally a child rights crisis, threatening access to clean water, safe food, education, and survival.
Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, and ecosystem degradation are already reshaping food systems. These changes affect what food is produced, how safe it is, how much it costs, and whether families can afford nutritious diets. As UNEP has emphasized, pollution, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse are increasingly infringing on children’s rights to a healthy environment and sustainable livelihoods.
Key threats facing children today
1. Malnutrition on a massive scale
Globally, one in three children experiences some form of malnutrition. Climate change is accelerating this crisis. UNICEF projects that without urgent action, climate impacts could result in 28 million additional cases of acute malnutrition by 2050.
Children in low- and middle-income countries—where over 80 percent of climate-related deaths occur—bear the greatest burden. Droughts and floods worsen food insecurity, reverse nutrition gains, and contribute to stunting, wasting, and hidden hunger caused by micronutrient deficiencies.
2. Disrupted food systems and rising costs
Climate shocks destroy crops, kill livestock, and interrupt food markets. The result is reduced food availability, rising prices, and declining access to diverse, nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and animal-source proteins.
These disruptions drive deficiencies in iron, zinc, and vitamin A—nutrients essential for growth, immunity, and cognitive development. Such impacts directly undermine SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), reinforcing the urgent need for climate-resilient food systems.
3. Climate-amplified food safety risks
Hotter and more humid conditions increase fungal growth and contamination by mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins found in staple foods like maize and groundnuts. Poor storage conditions, including in schools and community institutions, heighten children’s exposure.
The consequences are severe: impaired growth, weakened immunity, and increased disease risk. The World Health Organization estimates that children under five account for 40 percent of the global foodborne disease burden. As Dr. Kiage emphasized, “Unsafe food is a violation of the right to food.”
4. Heat stress and learning loss
Children are physiologically less able to regulate body temperature than adults. In arid and semi-arid regions, including parts of northern Kenya, extreme heat contributes to dehydration, illness, reduced concentration, and poor school performance.
This creates a vicious cycle of health vulnerability and learning loss, reinforcing inequalities and undermining broader child protection and education goals under SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Food systems, climate, and environmental protection
Dr. Kiage highlighted a critical paradox: food systems contribute nearly 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet healthy ecosystems are essential for producing nutritious, resilient, and affordable diets.
Environmental degradation fuels hunger, disease, and displacement, directly undermining children’s rights to food, water, education, and protection. Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, as emphasized under SDG 15 (Life on Land), is therefore central to child survival and well-being.
What must change: policy and action priorities
Dr. Kiage concluded with clear priorities that align closely with ACOPPHE’s mission and global frameworks advanced by FAO, UNICEF, WHO, and UNEP:
- Integrate child nutrition and food security into climate policies and financing
- Strengthen food safety systems, including mycotoxin control, in line with WHO guidance
- Invest in climate-resilient school and community food systems, such as kitchen gardens and safe storage
- Enforce children’s constitutional and human rights to adequate, safe, and sustainably produced food
As she powerfully stated, “Climate change is a child survival crisis, not just an environmental issue,” and “Protecting the environment is a legal and moral obligation to protect children’s rights.”
From research to action
This session reinforced ACOPPHE’s role as a credible convener and advocate for child-centred planetary health solutions. Through the Triple C Campaign, ACOPPHE is bridging rigorous research with community-driven action, empowering partners and communities in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, and beyond.
Join us
If you are a donor, policymaker, researcher, or partner committed to advancing child-centered climate resilience, we invite you to engage with ACOPPHE. Contact us at info@acopphe.org to explore partnership opportunities, collaborative research, or participation in our upcoming global meeting on advocacy language on February 20th.
Stay tuned for Part Two of the Triple C Series, featuring Prof. Godson Ana’s in-depth exploration of children’s environmental health challenges. Follow ACOPPHE for updates and opportunities to turn evidence into impact.
