Summary:
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Food systems and global food security are at a crossroads on this World Food Day.
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The combined effects of a pandemic, mounting climate change pressures, high energy and fertiliser prices, and armed conflicts, including Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, have severely worsened the world’s food insecurity, especially for the most vulnerable.
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The Roadmap for Global Food Security was introduced at a summit on food security that the United States presided over earlier this year at the UN.
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President Biden pledged over $2.9 billion in new support to fight global food insecurity last month at the UN General Assembly.
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Let’s live up to this year’s theme of “Leave No One Behind” on World Food Day since the food security we create together will determine our people’s health, stability, and well-being.
Food systems and global food security are at a crossroads on this World Food Day. The combined effects of a pandemic, mounting climate change pressures, high energy and fertiliser prices, and armed conflicts, including Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, have severely worsened the world’s food insecurity, especially for the most vulnerable. Production and supply chains have been disrupted.
The effects on people are startling. More than 190 million people experienced severe food insecurity at the beginning of 2022. An additional 70 million people could be added due to the Ukrainian conflict. Malnutrition and hunger affect millions of people.
Conflicts are causing unacceptable levels of hunger because violence prevents food from reaching the most vulnerable. Food systems are unstable due to supply chain disruptions caused by pandemics. Fertilizer use is declining as a result of high pricing and supply problems. We also witness the severe threat that climate change poses to our food supply, from the floods in Pakistan to the droughts in the Horn of Africa. For the second time in less than ten years, famine is a threat in some areas of Somalia.
The task at hand is evident. We can only overcome the obstacles to global food security by cooperating. The Roadmap for Global Food Security was introduced at a summit on food security that the United States presided over earlier this year at the UN. At that summit, we reiterated the need for world leaders to take swift action to address the urgent food crisis worldwide and prevent extreme starvation for hundreds of millions of people. The project has gained support from more than 100 nations, who have committed to seven initiatives, including boosting fertiliser output and funding climate-resilient agriculture.
Leading the charge is the United States. President Biden pledged over $2.9 billion in new support to fight global food insecurity last month at the UN General Assembly. This announcement adds to the $6.9 billion U.S. aid promised this year to help global food security. To save the most vulnerable people on earth—often women and children—from the worsening global food security crisis, our support will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium- to long-term food security assistance.
There is no longer any question about a severe global emergency regarding food security. Let’s live up to this year’s theme of “Leave No One Behind” on World Food Day since the food security we create together will determine our people’s health, stability, and well-being.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
