Both the World Bank and the UN are warning of increased famine as a result of the pandemic. According to the UN, the number of people with an emergency food supply will rise to 265 million this year. This is an increase of 135 million compared to 2019.

Today, more food is produced than before, but around 830 million people in the world are still malnourished and have limited access to food.

Water supply important

Central to securing food supplies is the issue of water - and with the ongoing pandemic, it is hitting hard on poor countries affected by conflict.  

- One of several challenges under the corona is that we get an economic vulnerability that affects the poor. Partly that they cannot afford to buy food and partly that countries cannot afford to import the food. Many countries in, for example, Africa are in great need of importing food, they are not self-sufficient, says Jan Lundqvist. He is a former professor and active at the Stockholm International Water Institute and has long researched the subject. At a seminar at the end of June, he presented his results and he thinks this issue is urgent.

Need to build systems

One step in securing food supply is to deal with water issues, which in many poor countries is a challenge. Since the water shortage is large in many of these countries, solutions must be found to collect the water, says Jan Lundqvist. 

- You have to allow the water to stay in an area. We must make every effort to enable the farmers to build up such systems that they collect rainwater in combination with other various soil conservation efforts, ”he says.

An interaction

According to Jan Lundqvist there is no simple solution. He believes that the issue of food supply is an interaction between several actors. 

- You have to see food security and an improved food situation as an interaction between producers, farmers and us consumers, because we control our purchasing power and our desires. We very much control what the farmers think is profitable to produce. No farmer will produce a commodity if he or she does not think they can sell it, says Jan Lundqvist.