FAO’s Post

Want to know what is the latest state of food security and nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean? And how climate extremes have affected it? Then read this!!!

The Global Food Crisis: Causes and Consequences The global food crisis has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, exacerbated by a confluence of factors including climate change, geopolitical tensions, and economic instability. Extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, have significantly disrupted agricultural production in key regions, leading to reduced crop yields and increased food prices. Additionally, conflicts in major food-producing areas, such as Ukraine, have further strained supply chains, making it difficult for countries reliant on imports to secure essential staples. As a result, millions of people are facing food insecurity, with the United Nations estimating that around 828 million individuals were undernourished in 2021—a number that is projected to rise if current trends continue. Addressing the global food crisis requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes sustainable agricultural practices, investment in resilient food systems, and international cooperation. Governments and organizations must work together to implement policies that support local farmers and promote food security, particularly in vulnerable regions. Innovations in technology, such as precision agriculture and alternative protein sources, can also play a crucial role in enhancing productivity while minimizing environmental impact. Moreover, raising awareness about food waste and promoting responsible consumption can help mitigate the crisis. Without urgent action, the ramifications of the food crisis could lead to increased poverty, social unrest, and a decline in global health outcomes, underscoring the need for immediate and sustained intervention. #snsinstitution #snsdisignthinkers #snsdisignthinking

🍽️🌍Hunger: A Human Right, Not a Choice   🌍Addressing hunger and food insecurity requires a unified global effort. 🌍Governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society must work together to ensure sustainable food systems.   Do you know:   🍽️Over 735 million people globally suffer from hunger. 🍽️Around 2.4 billion people lack regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. 🍽️In Sub-Saharan Africa an estimated 282 million people experiencing hunger 🍽️Malnutrition remains rampant, with stunting rates among children under five years old reaching 31% in several African countries 🍽️In Ghana about 3.9 million people remains food insecure 🍽️The world loses or wastes about 1.3 billion tons of food, according to the FAO 🍽️The cost of food loss and waste stands at nearly $1 trillion globally, while millions of people go hungry each day 🌍Food insecurity is a collective responsibility, and each of us has a role to play in ensuring a world free of hunger. 🌍By taking action on multiple fronts agriculture, policy, technology, and individual behavior, we can make meaningful progress toward food security for all.

💫 So proud to have been able to partner on a climate risk project with Groupe Nutriset, a French company based in Normandy, specializing in the development, production and distribution of nutritional therapeutic foods, for children, to supply NGOs such as UNICEF or Médecins Sans Frontières. 🚨 Fighting #climatechange & #malnutrition can't be dissociated. While the lowest income countries produce one-tenth of emissions, they are the most heavily impacted by climate change. Thus, a report from The World Bank estimated that an additional 68 to 135 million people could be pushed into #poverty by 2030 because of climate change. 🌎 By 2050, the world could see a significant rise in CO2 levels, which would severely impact the nutritional quality of our food; leading to a reduction in key nutrients, and making people, especially children, more susceptible to serious illnesses. That the reason why we join forces with Nutriset to assess the impact of climate change on the resilience of their milk supply chain. What we found out: ▶ By 2050, the increase in #droughts will strongly impact the production of cow feed, especially maize for concentrates. ▶ The rise in temperature combined with air humidity, assessed through THI (temperature humidity index), will impact cow metabolism, therefore the quality and quantity of their milk will decrease. ▶ The combination of these impacts is what is undermining the entire milk value chain. In other words: without adaptation, the price of raw materials may rise, and their quantity and quality is expected to decrease while the need for affordable and nutrient-rich products will increase (vicious circle). 💡 But beyond the risk, opportunities and solutions can be found, by investing locally with suppliers in new farming practices, changing feed rations, increasing plant-based proteins in recipes, etc.

Climate variability is severely affecting food security in Latin America and the Caribbean. Despite some progress, there is still a lot of work to be done to build more resilient systems and ensure long-term food security.

Climate Crisis is Health and Nutrition Crisis

The Sahara, once lush with trees and grasslands, has transformed into the world's largest hot desert over hundreds or thousands of years. This change highlights the impact of climate change on our planet. Today, as we witness the effects of #climatechange, I'm deeply concerned about the future of our agricultural lands, especially in light of urbanization and other human activities that are encroaching on these vital resources. It's a sobering thought to consider what our future generations will be eating. With about 75 percent of the genetic diversity of our food crops lost since 1900, we are witnessing a significant shift in our #food landscape. Millets, once a staple food across Asia and Africa, are now nearly extinct, replaced by grains like rice. This evolution in our diet is natural, but it raises questions about the future availability of certain #crops and the sustainability of our food systems. Rice, a staple for many, is not only a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions but also highly vulnerable to climate change. Predictions suggest that #rice yields could decline by 11% by 2050, pushing people to reconsider their dietary choices. Similarly, #maize production is projected to decline by 24% by 2030 due to changing #climate patterns, posing a significant challenge to global #foodsecurity. Even popular fruits like bananas are facing threats. The Cavendish banana, which comprises almost half of global production, is under threat from a fungal disease caused by climate change. These challenges highlight the urgent need to analyze and understand the future of food production and consumption to ensure global food security. No country is immune to food supply challenges, and even major food exporters like India, China, US, and Brazil are reliant on imports for certain crops. As climate change continues to disrupt food production, countries must consider strategies to strengthen their food security, including diversifying crop cultivation, investing in resilient #agriculture practices, and fostering #innovation in food production. Climate change is reshaping our food landscape, and we must be prepared to adapt. I'm not trying to incite fear, but just as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives worldwide, we could potentially face another crisis – a food shortage pandemic triggered by climate change. We must not leave future generations vulnerable to sudden surprises or severe food shortages. #agtech #foodsystems #farming #futureoffood

How can Africa transform its agrifood sector, create jobs and ensure food and nutrition security in the face of climate change and other global shocks? There is a need to coordinate, align and harmonize support to attain resilient and sustainable food systems. We are setting the agenda for food systems transformation in Africa at the #AFSForum2024 #InnovateAccelerateScale AGRA

Important reading!

How can Africa transform its agrifood sector, create jobs and ensure food and nutrition security in the face of climate change and other global shocks? There is a need to coordinate, align and harmonize support to attain resilient and sustainable food systems. We are setting the agenda for food systems transformation in Africa at the #AFSForum2024 #InnovateAccelerateScale AGRA