Donors must rethink Africa’s flagging green revolution
23/3/2022: A scathing new analysis of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) finds that the program is failing in its objective to increase food security on the continent, despite massive funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the US, UK, and German governments.
Source: Inter Press Service
Ukraine war feeds fears of another food crisis
13/3/2022: Important lessons were learned from the 2007–08 food crisis, and avoiding those mistakes will be critical in responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The rice crisis in 2007–08 was caused by panicked importers, exporters and hoarding by small-scale participants along the rice supply chain.
Source: East Asia Forum
The rise in food insecurity amid COVID-19 and conflicts
17/3/2022: The effects of COVID-19 over the past two years, in addition to the increase in wars and conflicts, climate change and economic crises, have aggravated global food insecurity, generating serious concerns for 2022. An increase of 100 million people suffering from hunger is projected for these past two years, extending the negative trend already reported.
Source: Inter Press Service
Russia blocks ships carrying grain exports
17/3/2022: Up to 300 ships have been stopped by Russian forces from departing the Black Sea, leaving one of the key global trade routes for grain virtually blocked. The fertile region is known as "the world's breadbasket." The International Maritime Organization has called for so-called blue corridors to allow the ships to leave the Black Sea without the risk of attack or hitting a mine.
Source: DW
Afghanistan: Food insecurity threatens ‘an entire generation’
15/3/2022: People in Afghanistan are today facing a food insecurity and malnutrition crisis of “unparalleled proportions”, according to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. Acute hunger in the country rose from 14 million in July, to 23 million in March.
Source: UN News
Yemen facing ‘outright catastrophe’ over rising hunger
14/3/2022: New data analysis from war-ravaged Yemen indicates potentially record food insecurity. Of extreme concern to humanitarians is the likelihood that the number of people experiencing famine-like levels of hunger will increase five fold, from 31,000 now, to 161,000, by 31 December.
Source: UN News
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drives global food insecurity
14/3/2022: The IMF has issued a warning that the world's food supplies are in peril. Russian's invasion of Ukraine is not the sole factor driving global food insecurity, but it is significant. The UN and the World Bank have offered a similar prognosis.
Source: DW
War in Ukraine poised to threaten global food security
10/3/2022: World food prices were already at their highest levels since 1975 and will now rise further due to the loss of food production from Ukraine (and to some extent Russia). Maintaining food export markets and increasing humanitarian aid are key solutions.
Source: Inter Press Service
The world’s hungry cannot afford another conflict
4/3/2022: As its emergency operation in Ukraine moved into high gear the World Food Programme expressed deep concern that the crisis could have consequences well beyond Ukraine's borders. The Russian Federation and Ukraine are responsible for 29% of the global wheat trade
Source: World Food Programme
Ukraine conflict threatens Africa’s food security
24/2/2022: There is significant agricultural trade between African countries and both Russia and Ukraine especially in wheat. Disruption to shipments would add to existing concerns about global food price inflation.
Source: The Conversation