Across the globe, the food crisis is a catastrophe with more than 200 million people have experienced food insecurity. More than 50 million people are close to starvation right now in different parts of the world. However, members of WHO and UN along with NGOs are on a mission to save the world from a nutrition crisis. The present paper effectively reviews the food crisis across the globe, issues, compromises that people make on food quantity, and what initiatives members of the UN take to overcome food crisis risks.
Environment, U. N. The environmental food crisis. UNEP – UN Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/environmental-food-crisis
UNEP report provides an insight into how water stress, land degradation, and climate change impact the food sector in terms of skyrocketing food prices due to limited food production. In summarizing the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) new rapid response assessment report on how the modern world may be able to feed the world hunger in a more sustainable manner, I analyze the socio-economic developments UNEP report suggested that are needed by the food production sector for the availability, stability, and accessibility of the food supplication. UNEP report has warned the food sector that food production may face a 25% loss by 2050 due to the factors of enough meat consumption, population growth, and biofuel policies that cause a major decrease in potential agricultural areas involved.
Non-governmental organizations. Wfp.org. https://www.wfp.org/non-governmental-organizations
The World Food Programme (WFP), a non-government organization stabilizing the world food system presented a report 2021 on the Global Food Crisis which probes the key factors that are the causes of food sector degradation. They are lack of resources, full dependence on trade, no accessibility of farmers to the food market, and poor investments. However, the report puts forward some significant suggestions in the wake of climate change and food degradation to ensure the accessibility of the food market. Drawing on the recommendations of the UN report that has warned the global food system, WFP concludes that the food sector needs to recycle food wastes to creatively change them into animal feed. Besides, future pressure on the food market can be decreased by limiting the impacts of climate change and by instilling structural changes in agro-ecosystem and agricultural markets to increase food energy efficiency. (UNEP, 2017)
Hunger. (n.d.). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/hunger/en
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) working under the umbrella of the United Nations as a specialized agency addresses the catastrophic food crisis world has witnessed in 2007/2008 and takes initiatives with the imperative to empower marginalized segments of the globe so that they may not be “hungry.” FAO reports back the time when the spike in wheat, soybeans, crude oil, dietary food products, and rice prices heavily triggered the severity of poverty and malnourishment in every continent. The catastrophic rise in global food prices from 2011 to 2021 according to the prediction of the UNEP report has proved to be a food crisis in itself that is in my opinion a predicting pointer towards the food riot in the near future. (UNEP, 2017)
Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System. (n.d.). Www.usda.gov. https://www.usda.gov/oce/energy-and-environment/food-security
USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), a government and non-profit organization sheds light in its peer-reviewed Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System assessment on the food economics of 2011 in the United States when wheat prices all around the United States climbed by 75 percent. The assessment argues that this soaring wheat price although have affected the Americans who spend one-tenth of the income on food. However, these soaring prices were a calamity for the rest of the 2 billion poorest people living on Earth who nearly spend 50 to 75 percent of their yearly income in the food market in order to provide bread and butter to themselves and their families. That is the potential reason why the crisis of food stability and accessibility in 2011 was real and therefore this upheaval of food crisis has become the hidden driver of the geo-politics on Earth. (UNEP, 2017)
The assessment report also provides an insight into the drivers such as a heatwave in the Midwest of the United States, a monsoon failure in India, and a drought in the Soviet Union that contribute to the food crisis that rises the scale of acute hunger all around the globe. According to the recent data, USDA gathered about the food crisis in the United States every 15% of U.S. households experienced very low food security. USDA in this regard offers food assistance in every state of the US through its SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) initiative to provide households an electric benefit through debit cards to access cereals, bread, meat, vegetable, etc.
United Nations. Food. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/food
United Nations presented its report in the mid-2021 to effectively address the real crunch that would be the cause of world hunger by 2050 as today’s food world is changing dietary preferences as people residing in emerging countries keep up with their demand for processed food and convenient dietary products. I found this report of the United States useful as it fits the study of the change of the “western diet” that has detrimental environmental consequences on food security. People living in poor segments of the rich world have limited accessibility to healthy food as it is expensive as compared to processed food which results in malnourishment due to under-eating and obesity due to over-eating. (UNEP, 2017) In the United States, the 10 poorest states are recorded with a high level of obesity due to over-eating processed food as they do not have access to natural food resources.
Peace Corps. Global Issues: Food Security. Peacecorps.gov. https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators/resources/global-issues-food-security/
Peace Corps, a non-profit agency committed to the Open Government Organization upholds the aspect of food security for the people of the United States. The agency addresses the root causes of the perpetuation of food production and what causes extreme hunger all around the globe. One of the key factors that are causing food deterioration is the demand for more western food in the emerging states of the US and other emerging countries around the globe. I opine building on the findings that the reason for the broken food system is not the challenge of food supply to meet the world’s demand rather it is an outcome of appalling population growth and environmental degradation. UNEP report has also forecasted that the world’s population may grow from 7 to 10 billion by 2050 and hence food supply and food demand are expected to increase by 70% accordingly. (UNEP, 2017) Peace Corps volunteers to address food security challenges across the United States and assist with the improvement and providence of food products.
USDA ERS – Global Economic Crisis Threatens Food Security in Lower Income Countries. (n.d.). Www.ers.usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2009/december/global-economic-crisis-threatens-food-security-in-lower-income-countries/
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues an update based on IMF’s that global economic crisis has adversely affected the food security of low-income countries and probes the significant world food policy agenda till the 2008 food crisis around the globe. The surge in the prices of food made about the ninth of the Earth’s population suffered from extreme hunger. The report predicts that a new food crisis can emerge by 2050 at any time which would affect the global economic forces of the developing world and would be worst for the poor segments of the globe that are already striving to increase agricultural productivity to overcome starvation. I agree with USDA’s prediction in this regard that the food calamity world has faced from 2007 to 2008 can again be witnessed by the global food system. (UNEP, 2017) To cope with the threat of malnutrition due to starvation, USDA volunteers build potential suggestions such as investment, trade, accountability of the organizations which prescribe food shortage and work according to the rule of food security, and insurance of the rules that govern the global food system.
Food Systems. (n.d.). IFAD. https://www.ifad.org/en/food-systems
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency for UN that addresses ‘hunger’ in rural states of the US as well as in the world as a whole analyzes the genuine concern of the food crisis “feeding the population of 10 billion” around the globe. This financial institution has examined the FAO’s (Food and Agriculture Organization) report that the world food system would have annual need of food in rural as well as urban areas by 75 percent which is now 60% in the 21st century. The assessment further investigates the theoretical ethical insights to end the suffering of animals in the name of animal agriculture which has adverse effects in low-income countries. The report, in detail, examines animal exploitation to keep up the need for “clean meat” for emerging countries as well as in different low-income states of America. I found out that the IFAD points out a valid reason that UNEP assessment also contains that negative environmental and economic impacts, animal exploitation, exploitation of people residing in low-income states and counties, along with changing climate patterns are very much a part of the deterioration of food security. (UNEP, 2017)
The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2020. (n.d.). Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/state-of-food-security-and-nutrition-in-the-world-2020
World Health Organization (WHO) observes the detailed root causes and the detrimental impacts the global food crisis has on the poor segments of the globe and draws evidence on how the spike in food prices increases the threats of malnutrition and poverty. WHO predicts that the surge in food prices in 2007/2008 is being felt by the people around the globe but the effects are extremely being felt by the poor members of the world economy. Besides, the organization predicted that poor harvests in some under-developing areas of the world (Russia, Pakistan) would raise global food insecurity in 2010. I found WHO’s observations relatable to the UNEP report used as a source for this paper because this is actually happened in 2010 when the global economy strikes high food prices on the poor who subsequently fall victims to malnutrition and extreme poverty due to poor harvests in some areas of the world that are famous for food production. (UNEP, 2017) WHO report of 2020 regarding the global food crisis puts a spotlight on the strategies and policies to ensure accessibility to a healthy diet to put an end to world hunger and malnutrition.
Famine and Food Crises. UNICEF USA. https://www.unicefusa.org/mission/emergencies/food-crises
UNICEF observes the significant factors that are responsible for the global food crisis and subsequently for malnourishment and poverty around the globe, especially for the children who are the vulnerable members of any society. UNICEF report puts an argument over worldwide concern of the sharp increase in food prices in 2007/2008 that are still continuing to rise and can only be coped up by ensuring food security. The factors this report discusses are notably the diversion of foodgrains in order to obtain biofuel, adverse climate change patterns, sharp spike in crude oil prices, changing living standards in emerging countries, dietary shifts, neglect of new agricultural policies. (UNEP, 2017) I find the similar factors in today’s global food system that are deteriorating the global food production, availability, accessibility, as well as food supply that dramatically is a pointer towards the emerging food crisis in the globe. UNICEF to hinder this global risk is reaching every state of the United States as according to the report hunger crisis has put billions of US children in danger. UNICEF is working around the clock to save children as well as low-income members of the United States and developing countries from the nutrition crisis.
In conclusion, although the food crisis is the havoc the world is witnessing right now or maybe by 2050 however, a variety of policy measures local governments along with members of the UN and WHO can take to feed the world hunger. Counties and states around America and the world as a whole should focus on the willingness of farmers to increase the stability and investment of the food supply in the area of agriculture as well as trade and investment should be improved in the food system globally to get better food production.
References
Environment, U. N. (2017, September 16) The environmental food crisis. UNEP – UN Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/environmental-food-crisis
Non-governmental organizations. Wfp.org. https://www.wfp.org/non-governmental-organizations
Hunger. (n.d.). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/hunger/en
Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System. (n.d.). Www.usda.gov. https://www.usda.gov/oce/energy-and-environment/food-security
United Nations. Food. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/food
Peace Corps. Global Issues: Food Security. Peacecorps.gov. https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators/resources/global-issues-food-security/
USDA ERS – Global Economic Crisis Threatens Food Security in Lower Income Countries. (n.d.). Www.ers.usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2009/december/global-economic-crisis-threatens-food-security-in-lower-income-countries/
Food Systems. (n.d.). IFAD. https://www.ifad.org/en/food-systems
The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2020. (n.d.). Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/state-of-food-security-and-nutrition-in-the-world-2020
Famine and Food Crises. UNICEF USA. https://www.unicefusa.org/mission/emergencies/food-crises
