Which policy measures help mitigate the impact of climate variability on yields and price volatility in food security?

• A. Diversified production, strategic reserves, and social protection.
• B. Monoculture farming only.
• C. Reducing agricultural subsidies.
• D. Eliminating crop insurance.

Answer: (A)

Policy measures that help mitigate climate variability in food security combine risk-sharing across production with buffers for households. Diversified production spreads risk so that a bad season for one crop or region doesn’t drag down overall output and push up prices. Maintaining strategic reserves provides a cushion for shocks, allowing stock releases to stabilize supplies and smooth price movements when yields dip or markets tighten. Social protection—like cash transfers or food assistance—keeps people’s purchasing power steady during crises, reducing vulnerability and dampening demand-driven price swings.

Relying on a single crop increases exposure to climate shocks, and removing subsidies or crop insurance removes key mechanisms that help farmers absorb and recover from those shocks.