Global report finds quarter of a billion people hungry
3/5/2023: The 2023 Global Report on Food Crises finds that 258 million people in 58 countries faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2022, a jump of about 33% from the previous year. The world is wildly off track for achieving its goal of zero hunger by the end of this decade.
Source: Devex
What’s on Cindy McCain’s plate as WFP’s new chief
5/4/2023: The incoming head of the World Food Programme faces unprecedented challenges. Global food insecurity and extreme hunger are at record levels, driven by a mix of conflict, COVID-19, the climate crisis, and economic turmoil. There’s not enough donor funding to cover what aid agencies say they need.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Black Sea grain deal extended
18/3/2023: The UN has announced that a deal allowing for the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports had been extended, on the day it was due to expire. Since July last year the agreement has helped bring down global food prices.
Source: DW
Half of Syria’s population faces hunger
14/3/2023: Over 12 million people, more than 50% of Syria's population, are currently food insecure and a further 3 million are at risk of sliding into hunger, as the country grapples with the impact of recent earthquakes and the 12-year-long conflict. A funding crunch for the World Food Programme in Syria threatens to curtail food aid, exactly when people need it most.
Source: World Food Programme
Global hunger set to spiral as debt crisis bites
6/3/2023: A panel of experts warns that the global food crisis has entered a dangerous new phase as developing country debt skyrockets. They observe that these countries are locked into exporting cash crops to pay off dollar-denominated debts at the expense of feeding local populations.
Source: iPes Food
Cereal production falls in Africa’s “year of nutrition”
17/2/2023: Despite promises, nearly three-quarters of African governments have reduced their agricultural budgets while paying almost double that on arms. Chronic under-investment in agriculture is a key cause of the widespread hunger experienced in 2022.
Source: Oxfam International
UN food agencies call for action on the global food crisis
8/2/2023: A joint statement by UN food and development agencies warns that food insecurity is on the rise, with global food supplies projected to drop to a three-year low in 2022/2023. They recommend urgent action to rescue hunger hotspots, facilitate trade and reform harmful subsidies.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Africa’s vast arable land underutilized for food security
16/1/2023: UN data shows that Africa is home to an estimated 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land. Experts argue that pitting food crops for domestic markets against cash crops for export is not the right conversation to have.
Source: Inter Press Service
Another bleak year expected for food security
4/1/2023: As the war in Ukraine approaches its second year, food experts are concerned that fertilizer shortages and rising prices will impact crop yields. Rising debt levels are affecting low-and-middle-income countries, constraining imports of basic staples.
Source: Devex
UN food agencies call for urgent action in the Sahel
8/12/2022: The number of hungry people in West and Central Africa is projected to reach an all-time high of 48 million next year if urgent and long-lasting solutions to address this crisis are not delivered soon. The food and nutrition security outlook for 2023 is extremely worrying for the entire Sahel region.
Source: World Food Programme