The global food security crisis: Discover more

The world is facing a global food security crisis with multiple causes, among them: climate change, COVID-19, and conflicts, including Russia’s unprovoked and ongoing war against Ukraine. More than 765 million people across the globe were chronically hungry in 2021.
In response to this growing global crisis, the United States, the European Union, the African Union, and Spain co-chaired the Global Food Security Summit on September 20 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Additional co-hosts include Germany, Colombia, Nigeria, the European Commission, and Indonesia.

This website gathers all the information regarding the “unprecedented agreement” signed on 27 July in Istanbul on the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea.

I deeply regret the decision by the Russian Federation to terminate the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative – including the withdrawal of Russian security guarantees for navigation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

The war in Ukraine sent shock waves throughout the global economy, in particular through trade disruptions of food and fertilizers from two of the world’s main breadbaskets, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. This left millions of people in developing and least developed countries at the frontline of a food and price crisis. In July 2022, two agreements were signed: one is the memorandum of understanding between the United Nations and the Russian Federation to facilitate the unimpeded access for their food and fertilizers exports to global markets. The second is the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), signed by the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine, and witnessed by the United Nations to allow the safe export of grain, fertilizers and other foodstuff from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. This report concentrates on showing the benefits of one of the agreements, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and its contribution to ease market pressures and avert the worst impacts of the food crisis.

Faced with the threat of food insecurity for millions of people around the world, on 22 July, 2022, the United Nations brokered two initiatives. One is the memorandum of understanding between the UN and the Russian Federation to facilitate unimpeded access for their food and fertilizers exports to global markets. The second, and the focus of this analysis, is the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) signed by the UN, the Russian Federation, Türkiye and Ukraine to resume Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea amid the war. In a short space of time, the BSGI has gathered momentum.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank Group (WBG) President David Malpass, World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala issued the following joint statement calling for urgent action to address the global food security crisis.

This Internet pages gathers data, publications and case studies in relation to the emergency crisis.

The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) for 2023 highlights that the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity and requiring urgent food and livelihood assistance is on the rise. The report indicates that over a quarter of a billion people are facing acute hunger, with economic shocks and the Ukraine war contributing to the increase. In 2022, around 258 million people across 58 countries and territories faced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels (IPC/CH Phase 3-5), up from 193 million people in 53 countries and territories in 2021.

The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2022) highlights the remarkably high severity and numbers of people in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent in 53 countries/territories, driven by persistent conflict, pre-existing and COVID-19-related economic shocks, and weather extremes. The number identified in the 2022 edition is the highest in the report’s six-year existence. The report is produced by the Global Network against Food Crises (which includes WFP), an international alliance working to address the root causes of extreme hunger.

By mid-2022, the population facing the three highest phases of acute food insecurity was greater than at any point in the six-year history of the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC). According to the GRFC 2022 Mid-Year Update, the number of people in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent – that is the number of people requiring urgent humanitarian assistance – is forecast to reach up to 205.1 million in 45 of the 53 countries/ territories included in the GRFC 2022, published in May 2022.
The report analyses two key topics of concern in mid-2022 : global and domestic food prices and drought in the Horn of Africa.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is leveraging its global presence, capabilities, and partnerships to mitigate the global food crisis fuelled by conflict, climate shocks and COVID-19, compounded by the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine.

WFP and FAO are issuing an early warning alert for urgent humanitarian action in 20 hunger hotspots where hunger is expected to worsen from June to September 2022. According to the May 2022 Hunger Hotspots report, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen remain at ‘highest alert’ as hotspots with catastrophic conditions, and Afghanistan and Somalia are new entries to this worrisome class since the previous hotspots report in January 2022. These countries all have segments of the population facing IPC phase 5 ‘Catastrophe’ – or at risk of deterioration towards catastrophic conditions, with a total of 750,000 people already facing starvation and death in Ethiopia, Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan.

A global food crisis fuelled by conflict, climate shocks and the COVID-19 pandemic is growing because of the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine driving rising prices of food, fuel and fertilizer. Millions of people across the world are at risk of being driven into starvation unless action is taken now to respond together and at scale. Due to the unprecedented overlap of crises, WFP’s annual operational requirements are at an all-time high of US$22.2 billion, with confirmed contributions so far at US$4.8 billion (22 percent). WFP is calling for coordinated action to address this crisis.

The implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) needs to continue– including the renewal of Russian security guarantees for navigation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. It is important for all parties to ensure renewal of the deal and the Initiative, and as mentioned by the United Nation Secretary-General, António Guterres; “our goal must continue to be advancing global food security and global food price stability”.

FAO’s responses to the crisis in Ukraine and its impacts on global food security: data analyses, policy recommendations, and actions on the ground.

The war that began on 24 February 2022 has caused extensive damage and loss of life in major cities in Ukraine, spread across rural areas and sparked massive population displacement. More than 3.6 million people had been forced to abandon their homes and flee across borders to safety. Millions more are internally displaced. It is clear that the war has resulted in a massive, and more deteriorating, food insecurity situation, disrupted livelihoods during the agricultural growing season in Ukraine, and has also affected global food security.

The Russian Federation and Ukraine are among the most important producers of agricultural commodities in the world. Both countries are leading suppliers of agricultural products to global markets, where exportable supplies are often concentrated in a handful of countries. The Russian Federation is also a leading producer and exporter of fuels and fertilizers. The war in Ukraine is resulting in growing global market tightness, lifting prices for food, fertilizers and fuels to new highs. This report reviews the main market risks associated with the conflict, assesses the impacts on global food supplies and food security and puts forward policy recommendations and proposals to deal with the situation.

As part of its response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is issuing a series of quarterly updates on the impact of the war on agriculture and food security in the country. Drawing on recent surveys conducted by FAO and analyses completed by partners and other agencies, the series provides the latest information on key aspects of the agricultural and food security situation in Ukraine.

This paper analyzes the domestic and external drivers of local staple food prices in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using data on domestic market prices of the five most consumed staple foods from 15 countries, this paper finds that external factors drive food price inflation, but domestic factors can mitigate these vulnerabilities.

Fiscal policy has a crucial role in lessening the impact on the most vulnerable households. Governments must balance by ensuring access to energy and food, normalizing fiscal policy after unprecedented support in 2020, and promoting green transformation.

Summary of the findings :
• The agricultural, cereal, and export price indices were stable over the past 2 weeks.
• Domestic food price inflation remains high around the world. High inflation continues in almost all lowincome and middle-income countries, and the share of high-income countries with high inflation is also
increasing sharply.
• Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to free more than 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in Ukraine’s Black
Sea ports.
• The war in Ukraine threatens poor countries with overlapping food and debt crises.
• The Horn of Africa is suffering its worst drought in more than 40 years.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been since February 2022 undermining the latter’s capacity to harvest and export crops. A reduction in export capacity from Ukraine and Russia, and rising energy and fertiliser prices are pushing up international food prices, thereby threatening global food security. Findings presented in this brief suggest that the full loss of Ukraine’s capacity to export together with a 50% reduction in Russian wheat export could lead to a 34% increase in international wheat prices in the marketing year 2022/23.

This annual report monitors and evaluates agricultural policies in 54 countries, including the 38 OECD countries, the five non-OECD EU Member States, and 11 emerging economies. It finds that the continued rise in agricultural support has been slower than sector growth in recent years, but has been driven to record highs mainly by temporary factors. The share of general services to the sector (including innovation and infrastructure) in total support provided to the sector has decreased to 13%. This year’s report focuses on the potential for agriculture and agricultural policies to contribute to climate change mitigation. It argues that short-term agricultural policy responses to global crises must simultaneously address current challenges and support reforms to combat climate change and distortions in international markets.

Information and analysis on global economics and country risks, including in-depth analysis and forecasts for around 200 countries.

Oxford Analytica is an independent, privately held company founded in 1975 to bring timely and authoritative analysis of world developments to business and government leaders, to identify the key political, economic, legal and regulatory factors in complex markets.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis; such as country reports. The country reports cover political and economic analysis and forecasts for 189 countries.

POLITICO PRO, a global nonpartisan politics and policy news organization, launched in Europe in 2015. The GSC corporate subscription includes coverage to all policy areas: Pro Agriculture & Food, Brexit Transition, Competition & Industrial Policy Pro, Cybersecurity & Data Protection Pro, Pro Energy & Climate, Pro Financial Services, Pro Health Care, Pro Mobility, Sustainability Pro, Pro Technology, Pro Trade, Pro Trade UK.

With global prices of food and fertilizers already reaching worrying highs, the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raise serious concerns for food security, both in the short and long term. IFPRI Senior Research Fellows Joseph Glauber and David Laborde are editing a special series of posts on the IFPRI blog providing analysis on the implications of rising food and fertilizer prices, the potential impacts on global and regional food security, and policy responses that could help increase the resilience of national and global food systems.

A collection of resources intended for research on global hunger/food insecurity, malnutrition, agricultural developments, and disease/pandemic implications.

The Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) is an inter-agency platform to enhance food market transparency and policy response for food security. It was launched in 2011 by the G20 Ministers of Agriculture following the global food price hikes in 2007/08 and 2010. Bringing together the principal trading countries of agricultural commodities, AMIS assesses global food supplies (focusing on wheat, maize, rice and soybeans) and provides a platform to coordinate policy action in times of market uncertainty.

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