How far is the food crisis from us?

　(2022·World Question) How far is the food crisis from us?

　　China News Agency, Beijing, December 23rd, title: How far is the food crisis from us?

　　Author Ma Jiajia Lin Yuxuan

　　In July this year, the 2022 "State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World" report released by five United Nations agencies showed that in 2021, the number of people affected by hunger in the world will increase to 828 million people, accounting for 9.8% of the world's population.

Multiple food crises are looming, driven by regional conflicts, climate shocks, COVID-19 and massive public debt burdens.

　　The 'new normal' of global hunger

　　The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Program jointly released a report stating that frequent and recurring climate shocks and regional conflicts continue, leading to sudden hunger has entered a "new normal".

　　At the beginning of 2022, the turmoil in the world's "granary" disrupted the global supply chain.

Ukraine and Russia account for about 29 percent of the global wheat trade, and disruptions to exports have exacerbated hunger in countries highly dependent on wheat imports such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Syria.

These countries have to bear the most painful costs of global food distribution and rising food prices.

　　On the other hand, climate change and environmental damage have exacerbated the food crisis.

According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about one-third of the world's soil is degraded, resulting in the loss of soil fertility and the decline in the nutritional quality of grains, fruits and vegetables.

This year, the Horn of Africa has suffered the worst drought in 40 years, and crop production has been greatly reduced.

In July, persistent torrential rains and floods swept Yemen, leaving some 73,000 people in need of food assistance.

　　In the case of "natural disasters" and "man-made disasters" appearing together, the world's food security has faced extremely severe challenges this year.

According to a report released by the United Nations World Food Program, as of June this year, about 345 million people in 82 countries are facing severe food insecurity.

Among them, about 50 million people in 45 countries are only one step away from famine.

　　UN Secretary-General Guterres also pointed out that the current level of global hunger is at a new high.

In just two years, the number of severely food insecure people has doubled.

　　developing countries are particularly vulnerable

　　The "hunger hotspots" that the United Nations is concerned about span three continents, from Central America to the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa, to Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan... The food crisis is a comprehensive result of multiple natural and social factors, so Developing countries with underdeveloped economies, political instability, and limited governance are more vulnerable.

　　Affected by the continued rise in wheat prices, Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, is now caught in the vortex of the global food crisis.

Historically, Egypt has experienced multiple turmoil due to food crises.

In 1977, the Egyptian government tried to raise the price of subsidized bread, sparking social unrest.

In 2008, a wheat shortage in the country plunged society into unrest again.

In 2011, Egyptians took to the streets to protest due to the soaring cost of staple food and economic recession.

　　Violent conflict is a prominent challenge brought by food crises to fragile countries.

"Conflict breeds hunger, and hunger feeds conflict." In June this year, Fleisher, head of the World Food Program for the Middle East and North Africa, said in an interview with the Washington Post.

　　It is true that the food crisis will become one of the triggers of the political crisis.

During the "Arab Spring" in late 2010 and early 2011, one of the most important triggers was the food crisis.

In recent months, the global food price index has been higher than the level when the "Arab Spring" broke out. If the food crisis continues to intensify, its chain reaction will easily evolve into a new round of political turmoil.

　　In addition, in the face of the global food crisis, developing countries are most vulnerable to the impact of uneven distribution.

David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, said that WFP's operating costs are at an all-time high, international humanitarian assistance is short of funds, and it may even be difficult to ensure the fairness of resource allocation in fragile countries.

　　Collaborating to withstand future shocks

　　United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently warned again that decades of global progress in the fight against hunger are being reversed.

In the face of this global crisis that may bring about a huge disaster, the international community should take joint action to save the lives under threat in the crisis.

　　Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, also emphasized at the G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting that countries still need to take multiple measures in trade, innovation, and infrastructure construction to enhance the resilience of the global agricultural and food system.

　　Asia is a key region for strengthening South-South cooperation to address food security challenges.

Over the years, Indonesia has actively responded to the "Digital Thousand Villages" initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which aims to support the transformation of the agricultural and food system, and promote the digitalization of agriculture.

The Saudi King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center donated 5 million US dollars through the "Hand in Hand" program to help Yemeni farmers improve their nutritional status.

　　It is worth mentioning that China has always been the developing country with the most financial assistance, the most dispatched experts, and the most projects carried out under the South-South Cooperation Framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

In recent years, China has donated a total of US$130 million to the FAO South-South Cooperation Fund, and sent a large number of experts and technicians to Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In July this year, the Chinese government provided emergency food assistance to more than 170,000 vulnerable people in Burkina Faso through the World Food Program.

　　Qu Sixi, representative of the World Food Program in China, pointed out that while ensuring food supply, China is also actively maintaining global food security and promoting common development.

　　What is the solution to the looming food crisis?

As the WFP report emphasizes, the key to facing the food crisis is not whether negative events will continue to occur, but "how we can take more decisive actions to strengthen our ability to withstand future shocks".

(use up)