World Food Day - Q4 2022

World Food Day

Still time left for a new game plan against the global hunger crisis

Year after year, the number of acutely food insecure people has risen mercilessly despite increasing humanitarian aid. By treating the symptoms of hunger rather than its causes, we have missed an opportunity to reverse suffering.

Lastyear, disasters and crises pushed almost 200 million people into high acute hunger – so severe that people require humanitarian assistance to survive –and almost 600,000 experienced famine-like conditions. In other words: starvation and death.

A preventable crisis if we choose

In all countries, rich and poor, Covid-19 has affected everyone. Loved ones died, jobs disappeared, and personal savings eroded.

For those who were already at risk from conflicts, instability and extreme weather events, the war in Ukraine — especially its impacts on food prices and availability — has been the absolute last straw.

Acute food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels around the world. At this moment, there are 50 million people just one step from starvation. Tens of millions more are poised for the same future.

The scale of need is unprecedented and undeniable. Sadly, it is not unexpected. For each of the last five years, levels of acute food insecurity have broken new records. We saw this coming and should have done something differently.

Food producers on the frontlines of hunger

At least two out of every three people experiencing hunger extremes are food producers.

Smallholder farmers produce about one-third of the world’s food and 80% of the food in developing countries. Yet, they go hungry. War, drought, floods, diseases and political and economic turmoil drive them from their land and homes, with little or no safety net.

Still, they are staggeringly resilient. In 2021, with humanitarian and commercial lifelines shut off from Tigray’s farmers, they came together and produced 900,000 tonnes of cereals — a 40% drop from what they normally produced, but a heroic effort that saved many.

To fight hunger, grow food

We have the tools to reverse the march of hunger to help people navigate their own recovery, starting from feeding themselves.

Agriculture is poorly funded, receiving less than 8% of all resources dedicated to food security. It’s proven that simple, anticipatory actions that support farmers’ livelihoods result in surprising returns on investment. Just vaccinating a farmer’s sheep produces an average ROI of 65:1.

These actions can transform hunger. So, on this World Food Day, let’s not just “spare a thought,” let’s get to work to build their resilience and a prosperous future for everyone. Doing the same things in the same ways will never give different results.

WRITTEN BY Rein Paulsen Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience, FAO

“How food brands can transform 40% of our agricultural land.”

O’Donnell

determined to make a greater impact on food systems.”

Puech D’Alissac

and President,

“We have been sounding the alarm for years, it’s time for the world to listen.”

Mohammed Secretary General,

How the full cycle of our packaging affects food system resilience

In what way can we create a food system that meets the needs of the industry and consumers, while reducing the environmental impact of packaging?

WRITTEN BY Alex Henriksen

Director,

Recent

global events highlight the fragility of our food system, which is failing to deliver the nutrition the world needs. This cannot continue when the global population is expected to grow by more than 25% between 2020 and 2050; and 821 million, globally, are currently undernourished.

Businesses can be a catalyst for change. We need to re-examine how we can create a resilient food system, with high performance packaging that can deliver safe and nutritious food and does not impact the world’s limited resources. To do this, we must consider all stages of a package’s life cycle.

This means packaging that is not only made of fully renewable or recycled materials but is recyclable and carbon neutral — a goal we strive towards in our mission to create the world’s most sustainable package.

Consider the origin of packaging materials

Our goal is to make all our packages from fully renewable materials, including paperboard from responsibly managed forests and plastics derived from Bonsucro-certified sustainable sugarcane.

We, therefore, work closely with stakeholders to increase the use of renewable materials and have made substantial progress. We’ve delivered more than 1 billion of our Tetra Rex® packages — the first beverage carton to be manufactured solely from plant-based materials.

The aluminium layer currently used in food carton packages plays a critical role in ensuring food safety; and even though it is thinner than human hair, it contributes to a third of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to base materials. So, we recently tested an industry first, fibre-based barrier to replace the aluminium layer in our ambient packages.

Rethinking ‘fully recyclable’ ‘Recycling’ is often considered a silver-bullet solution to the packaging problem. This is an oversimplified view. In reality, multiple stakeholders need to be invested to improve recycling rates and infrastructure and consider recycling in package design.

We recently joined forces with leading beverage producers to launch tethered caps. This plays an important role in encouraging recycling, as the cap stays attached to the package and helps to reduce litter.

Taking recycling rates into account

Our responsibility does not end with carton design.

A circular economy relies on value chains where cartons are collected, sorted, and recycled at scale

— a goal the UK falls short of.

Our industry must work with partners and the Government to create a culture of carton recycling. However, in research we commissioned last year, we found the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in the UK is still causing confusion, with 58% of consumers not understanding what the DRS entails and 59% saying they would be confused by it unless it was consistent with household recycling collections. This underlines the importance of ensuring the process is as easy as possible. By excluding materials, the Government risks confusing consumers who are used to recycling a wider range of materials via other routes.

A circular economy relies on value chains where cartons are collected, sorted, and recycled at scale — a goal the UK falls short of.

The food packaging system of the future Achieving a resilient food system is only possible by considering every stage of a product – from sourcing the materials to how they’re managed end-of-life. This requires input from an integrated ecosystem of stakeholders combined with innovation and public education. It means a significant amount of work, but it is achievable — working in silos is no longer an option.

Our world is becoming more dangerous and uncertain because of the climate crisis and a degraded environment.

Resilient food systems as the solution to climate breakdown

The realities of the climate crisis are hitting home for increasing numbers of people. Record-breaking temperatures, heatwaves, and wildfires have been making headlines around the world.

WhileEurope and the US have started to feel the heat this summer, people in other regions have been dealing with worsening climate impacts for many years.

The number of people facing acute food insecurity has soared, from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million this year. A total of 50 million people in 45 countries are now teetering on the edge of famine. While the bulk of humanitarian emergencies remains linked to conflicts and economic shocks, the impact of weather-related disasters on hunger has intensified.

A total of 50 million people in 45 countries are now teetering on the edge of famine.

Out of the three factors driving hunger—conflicts, costs, and climate— the climate crisis is the one that is not reversible. Once the planet has heated beyond 1.5°C degrees, which is likely to happen within this decade if no urgent action is taken by governments, it will be too late to prepare for unprecedented scenarios of poverty, migration, and starvation. To get ready for such a future, aid organisations and governments need to build systems now to manage the risks of tomorrow.

Our capability to adapt Diversity in farming and energy systems is a hallmark of resilient societies. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reminded governments that any over-dependency on

certain crops and energy sources carries substantive risks. The World Food Programme (WFP) implements programmes that help smallholder farmers diversify crops and renewable energy solutions for food production, processing, storage, and transport which are key elements of adapting to a more adverse and uncertain climate. In parallel, WFP prioritises the rehabilitation of degraded soils and ecosystems—a crucial element of protection from climate impacts. Layering these programmes with access to early warning systems and financial safety nets—for example, through climate insurance or shock-responsive social protection—helps communities build the capabilities they need to protect themselves now.

Urgency of climate action

Our world is becoming more dangerous and uncertain because of the climate crisis and a degraded environment. These issues directly and mercilessly impact the number of people who become dependent on humanitarian aid and the ability of governments and private donors to sustain mechanisms of international solidarity. At the same time, we know that solutions exist. Climate risks and the breakdown of food systems are linked in numerous ways, and so are the solutions we must deploy without any further delay.

WRITTEN BY Gernot Laganda

of Climate and

Risk Reduction, World Food Programme

Globally, up to 345 million people across 82 countries face food insecurity.

In humanitarian emergencies, packaging is as important as its food contents

Food aid provides a critical lifeline for communities facing hunger and starvation. One key element not always recognised is the role of food packaging in ensuring food is safe and nutritious when it reaches those in need.

Packaging expertise

Poor packaging, explains Carole Manceau, packaging expert at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), often leads to food waste because contents may deteriorate and become unfit for consumption.

Packaging that helps ensure long shelf life for food is crucial. It should be optimised for storing and transport and robust enough to withstand the challenging and diverse routes, temperature extremes and humidity often encountered along supply routes. Crucially, packaging should be sustainable and limit potential negative environmental impacts.

“Packaging plays a big role in the prevention of food waste, especially in humanitarian sectors, where we often face challenging supply chains because of long transport and storage times and uncertain climate and road conditions,” Manceau adds.

Reducing food waste

WFP supported 128 million people across 123 countries and territories in 2021. They recently entered a three-year partnership with Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging.

As part of the partnership, Mondi supports WFP with expertise, knowledge and access to their industry-leading R&D capabilities.

Manceau says: “We are working to eliminate food waste and loss from defective packaging, with leakages or pest infestation as an example. We’re doing this by assessing different technologies and developing quality specifications to see if they can be applied to prevent food waste and loss.”

Global hunger

Globally, up to 345 million people across 82 countries face food insecurity. Almost 830 million people go to bed hungry, with 50 million people in 45 countries teetering on the edge of famine.

“It is a huge concern for the global community, with figures increasing dramatically over the past years,” continues Manceau.

WFP has been highlighting that the world is facing

catastrophic food insecurity and unprecedented humanitarian needs that are fuelled by conflict, climate shocks and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic – all now compounded by the effects of the war in Ukraine.

Manceau says that, globally, a third of all food is lost. To counter this trend in its operations, WFP keeps food waste and loss across its supply chain below 1%.

Supply chain

WFP procures food from more than 600 producers globally and delivers it to communities in need around the world using a variety of transport methods including ships, trucks, trains and planes, often facing challenging routes and lengthy shipment times to reach some of the most remote places on Earth.

Claudia Feldgitscher, Head of Product Development, Mondi Korneuburg, supports WFP in improving packaging used in its operations while minimising environmental impacts.

She explains that the challenge lies in developing packaging to withstand all eventualities, journeys and climatic conditions. The manufacturing company’s expertise with high-barrier laminates and stand-up pouches that can protect food for up to three years have been pivotal.

Longer shelf life

In one specific project, WFP and Mondi are working to improve the performance – from an environmental perspective – of packaging used to protect high-energy biscuits (HEB). HEBs are nutrient-, fat- and calorie-rich biscuits often used by WFP during the early phases of emergency operations as an effective tool in preventing malnutrition. Selecting the right packaging material is essential when it comes to HEBs, due to the variety of storage conditions they are likely to endure and the shelf-life requirement of up to 18 months.

Feldgitscher, who leads the HEB packaging project, says, “WFP chose to partner with Mondi because of the wide range of expertise we offer – from high-barrier laminates to boxes and everything in between.”

“What is rewarding about working with WFP,” she adds, “is that we are helping ensure that the food people need in times of crisis is healthy and safe for them to eat.”

INTERVIEW WITH Carole Manceau Packaging Expert, World Food Programme

INTERVIEW WITH Claudia Feldgitscher Head of Product Development, Mondi Korneuburg

WRITTEN BY Mark Nicholls

Trading to unlock African growth from the inside

Africa is a continent of 54 countries and 1.4 billion people — speaking as many as 2,000 languages. Its diverse population is also notably young — with a median age of just 20 — and growing fast.

Sultan Ahmen Bin Sulayem

Bythe end of this century, Africa could host more than 4 billion people. New connections within the region and to the rest of the world can help Africa take advantage of its population boom.

Infrastructure to open new markets While Africa presents immense opportunities, it also has significant challenges. Trade barriers are numerous, and customs clearing for importers and exporters is often cumbersome. More pressing is the lack of high-quality roads, rails and other logistics and port infrastructures.

Addressing this issue is the single biggest way we can unleash Africa’s growth potential. DP World has been operating in Africa for over 20 years, investing in and managing ports and related infrastructure to contribute to the development of trade. It is now working to overhaul the entire end-to-end logistics chain across Africa, partnering with governments from Senegal to Somaliland and Rwanda to Angola.

No longer out of reach Rwanda is just one of 17 landlocked African countries. Sitting in the heart of central Africa, the nearest ports are more than 1,500km away. However, it now stands out from the rest, thanks to a new state-of-the-art dry port connecting its agricultural producers to distant seaports by road.

Spread over 20 hectares on the outskirts of the capital, Kigali, the facility offers 50,000 cubic metres of warehouses and handles up to 50,000 containers each year — exactly like a traditional seaport.

With a new road transport centre for delivery trucks, land transport waiting times have decreased from weeks at a time to mere days. Storage costs have also been slashed, turning Kigali into a major centre for logistics in east Africa and playing a pivotal role in connecting regional businesses with global markets.

Less food waste for farmers Agriculture sits at the heart of the Rwandan economy, contributing almost a third of its GDP and employing around 68% of the country’s working population. Hundreds of thousands of coffee growers now benefit from the dry port in Kigali through reduced turnaround times and access to new markets.

Other farmers have benefited from the country’s first cold storage facilities. They can chill fruit and vegetables to -8°C, keeping them fresher for longer, saving thousands of dollars for their customers each day. They produce some of the finest avocados in the world but require strong logistics support to compete globally and ensure their fresh produce arrives overseas on time.

Exceeding local targets

Rwanda set itself the target of generating USD 1 billion in agricultural exports by 2024 — more than double its current output. With the drive toward technology-intensive commercial growing and processing, the right logistics and supply chains will play a key role in meeting this ambitious goal.

Since 2019, DP World has supported avocado farmers around Kigali to move their produce, opening them up to a larger business network and boosting exports. Through the maintenance of the cold chain, they have assured avocado quality at its destination. This has directly improved the local economy and lives of people around Kigali.

World logistics passport

The disruption wrought by Covid-19 caused people and businesses alike to become aware of vulnerabilities in the global supply chain. We now have an opportunity to think differently about how goods and services move around the world and an imperative to boost resilience in global trade.

Last year, DP World established the World Logistics Passport (WLP) to help businesses and governments improve existing trading routes and develop new ones. The initiative aims to overcome impediments that limit the growth of trade and build logistical bridges between manufacturing hubs in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.

Reducing friction for trade to newer markets provides these countries with an opportunity to unlock their economic potential.

SPREAD

How Africa is effectively growing to be a global player

Rich in resources and cultures, Africa has the potential for a bright future, which can be brought much closer by harnessing the power and flow of trade.

Oneof Africa’s biggest challenges is its lack of infrastructure to bring its products to market, a fundamental barrier which has stunted the continent’s development.

Opening the market

Some key building blocks are already in place to unlock trade in the region, giving more people a chance to make sustainable livings by opening new markets for their produce. States are cooperating more closely than ever before.

In January last year, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) came into force, promising to increase intra-African trade through deeper liberalisation and regulatory coordination. It aims to improve the competitiveness of African industries and enterprises through market access, exploiting economies of scale and more effective resource allocation.

A growing economy

Without a genuinely pan-continental market, Africa will remain a minor player in global trade. Today, it accounts for just 2.4% of total global exports and is even a relatively small player in its own region.

The free trade area could transform the continent’s economy — with a

current combined GDP of USD 3.4 trillion — and its relationship with the rest of the world. The Brookings Institute estimates the African economy could nearly double in size to USD 6.7 trillion by 2030 and reach a staggering USD 16.12 trillion by 2050.

If the AfCFTA succeeds in its ambitions, it will create a unique opportunity for people and businesses. As momentum behind the agreement builds, success will depend on smart choices and thoughtful policy options to uncover end-to-end supply chain potential across the continent.

Digital logistics for Africa

Across Africa, companies are exploring how new technology and better farming techniques can boost yields, connect smallholders with markets and process food to add value. Achieving these outcomes is of growing importance, too, as food prices rise and anxiety over food security increases.

Long-term investments and building strategic partnerships will reduce the cost and time of trade while developing and managing infrastructure that grows local economies will enable intra-African trade. This will position Africa to become a trade powerhouse. This must include investing in

technology to open up new markets.

New e-commerce skills

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, farmers across sub-Saharan Africa have been benefiting from digital technologies, usually via phone and messaging systems such as SMS. By 2025, Africa’s e-commerce revenue will be double its 2020 level. Millions more will take their livelihoods online in the next few years. Equipping people with skills for this new era — and delivering connections through technology and trade — will be vital to encouraging growth so that

Without a genuinely pan-continental market, Africa will remain a minor player in global trade. Today, it accounts for just 2.4% of total global exports.

Africa can reap the rewards of its booming population.

Tapping into this, last year, DP World launched dubuy.com — Africa’s new online marketplace. It connects small traders in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia to markets all over the globe. Customers in other developing markets are just a few clicks away for the first time.

Discovering trade flows

Uniquely, the new digital trading corridors are underpinned by the physical corridors the company has built across the African continent. This includes ports, terminals and logistics operations, such as the port at Maputo and its connections with East and southern Africa.

As these connections expand, imagine what new, untapped trade flows will be unveiled. On the west coast, port-centric logistics solutions are offered through Senegal and Angola. On the east coast, DP World is developing an economic zone close to Berbera Port in Somaliland.

These developments show that it is only a matter of time until Africa is considered a global economic leader.

Better data management can be revolutionary for a farming business says Hugh Martineau, Head of Sustainability at agricultural data specialist, Map of Ag.

Data provides the foundation for decision-making. It stands to reason that the more information we have, the more informed our choices will be. It’s why the way we manage our data is so crucial.

Data challenges in farms

However, data management can present a particular challenge on a farm where potentially thousands of different data points — from livestock and compliance records to nutrient management plans, water usage and energy bills — are available but under-used. Complicating the picture further is that no two farms are the same or operate in the same way.

Benefits of holistic data management

Yet, if all of a farm’s disparate and siloed data could be brought together and viewed holistically, it would generate insights that guarantee a better understanding of its operations and highlight untapped opportunities to refine management practices. The result would be improved profitability, environmental performance, animal welfare and compliance.

Which is why farmers and growers have an increasingly pressing need to be able to bring data together easily from multiple sources, ideally through one centralised and secure platform.

Control over information usage Security is critical, of course, which is why the data originator (farmer or grower) must be in complete control of the data on the system: They must manage permissions so that requested information is only shared with trusted partners, and they control how the information can be used via data agreements.

Improved data sharing would also deepen collaboration between farmers, their advisers, suppliers and customers and lead to increasing consumer confidence that individual parts of the supply chain are working well together to — for example — reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

By managing data better, farmers can step back and see the bigger picture. They can revolutionise their business in the process.

How top food brands can transform 40% of our agricultural land

Food brands and supermarkets have the power to make naturepositive food the norm. Rather than bending nature to produce food, food can be designed for nature to thrive.

WRITTEN BY Reniera O’Donnell Food Initiative Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Everything

we eat has been designed by brands and supermarkets. They decide and design how our food looks and tastes, its nutritional value, and its impact on nature. Many of these players are part of a problem that now sees almost a third of all food production wasted and nearly 10% of the world’s population go hungry. However, their size, influence, and the opportunities presented by a circular economy means they can become part of the solution and redesign food that is not only nutritious but allows nature to thrive.

Benefits of a circular economy

We are currently locked into a system that is destroying our environment and cannot work in the long term.

Industrial farming has turned agriculture into a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and it’s driving the extinction of many species.

In stark contrast, the circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature. This presents leading brands and supermarkets with the massive opportunity to create a circular design-led approach that ensures we work with nature, not against it.

By rethinking the ingredients they use and how they’re produced, food designers can provide choices that are better for customers, farmers, and the environment.

The circular design for food allows us to unlock substantial environmental, economic, and yield benefits by combining regenerative production with three other selection and sourcing opportunities for ingredients that are diverse, upcycled, and lower impact. While each opportunity brings its own benefits for people and nature, these are maximised when the opportunities are combined.

Rethinking product design

Redesigning their product portfolios in this way and applying circular economy principles across all aspects of food design—including product concept, ingredient selection and sourcing, and packaging—will allow brands and supermarkets to not only create but meet growing consumer demand for more products that have a positive impact.

People are calling for meaningful solutions to global challenges. Shifting our food system to be circular by design is one of the most powerful things we can do to tackle the climate crisis, build biodiversity, and eliminate food waste.

By rethinking the ingredients they use and how they’re produced, food designers can provide choices that are better for customers, farmers, and the environment.

Why farmers need to step back and see the bigger data picture

INTERVIEW WITH Hugh Martineau Head of Sustainability, Map of Ag

WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway

Why we have to make sure that food is on the COP27 debating table

The food and agriculture industry is responsible for

a third of all carbon emissions and must be a major part of the solution to the climate crisis going forward.

Ifthe world is serious about getting to grips with the climate crisis, agriculture and food production must feature more prominently in the debate.

The food debate

Ignoring the food system is simply missing a major piece of the pie. “Perhaps it’s because food and agriculture is an incredibly complex, emotive and challenging subject,” says Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé UK&I.

“For one, we have to eliminate — or significantly reduce — food waste globally, and we also need to have challenging conversations about what constitutes sustainable diets and the role of animal versus plant agriculture.”

Improving outcomes

Dr Keller says: “At COP26, there wasn’t a food or agriculture day, and it wasn’t mentioned in the official Glasgow Climate Pact – the key document coming out of the negotiations.

Role of the food industry

There are a number of things that food companies can do to reduce their emissions, insists Dr Keller.

“Regenerative agriculture employs practices such as sustainable livestock management, soil protection, replanting trees and hedgerows. Farming in this way can put carbon back into the soil, enhance biodiversity and have wider benefits including improving farmer livelihoods and making the farm more resilient to flooding.”

Regenerative agriculture employs practices such as sustainable livestock management, soil protection, replanting trees and hedgerows.

Food and agriculture is clearly a missing part of the climate action puzzle.”

Nestlé attended COP26 and took part in a variety of events, contributing to numerous panel debates, as well as sponsorships.

“As the world’s largest food and drink company, it is important for us to be present to advocate for more ambitious climate crisis commitment, action and collaboration. We

Companies in the sector can also shift to using more reusable and recyclable packaging.

“Our commitment is to make all of our packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025,” she adds. “We’re also looking at our operations and logistics.”

Expectations for COP27

The world has changed considerably since COP26. With the cost of living crisis and major supply chain disruptions we have seen, food security and supply chain resilience are more important than ever.

Dr Keller adds: “It’s absolutely critical that we build on the momentum achieved and take meaningful actions as we head towards COP27 in Egypt.”

want to learn from others, share what we are doing and add our voice to some of the important discussions.”

INTERVIEW

Dr Emma Keller

of Sustainability,

BY

Greenway

©WFP/Sitraka Niaina Raharinaivo

Farmers in Madagascar are growing sweet potato and have access to micro-insurance to support them through any disasters or lean seasons. Insurance from WFP helps families to buy food, meet their immediate needs and rebuild their lives.

Organisations have a responsibility to set sustainability goals. However, it can be difficult to drive necessary action; but advice and support are available for companies to make an impact.

Inthe past, a company might have thought of addressing sustainability as a boxticking exercise,” states Murray Sayce, Global Head of Sustainability Assurance Services at BSI, which supports clients and organisations to champion sustainability and boost organisational resilience.

A growing necessity

Sustainability has a lot to do with transparency in how the company manages environmental, social and corporate governance practices.

Profit now goes hand in hand with reducing the impact on the environment, improving society and driving innovation and diversity. “Internal and external stakeholder expectations have intensified. Businesses have to identify their sustainability targets and back up their commitments with positive actions.”

Defining and shaping goals

A good place to start is the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), described as “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” The SDGs aim to address challenges regarding the environment, inequality and poverty among other issues — yet, according to YouGov research commissioned by BSI, only 18% of UK SMEs are aware of them.

The problem is — organisations can’t simply graft the SDGs onto their own models. “Each organisation is different,” says Sayce. “The SDGs should be used initially as a North Star — a guide to where they need to get to.”

Guides for sustainability

Tools are available to help companies understand and achieve their sustainability goals. For instance, BSI has a free online sustainability evaluator to help organisations discover where they are in their journey, assist them with setting sustainabilityrelated targets and provide information on sustainability topics.

Identifying areas of improvement

The worry is that organisations will start to suffer from sustainability fatigue. Sayce doesn’t see it that way: “Companies that have been on this journey for the last 10 years are not fatigued.”

“There may be fatigue from companies constantly hearing the sustainability message but not doing anything about it. As soon as they commit, they’ll find a new way of doing business and realise opportunities they didn’t know existed.”

Farmers determined to make a greater impact on food systems

Inaction in the face of the climate and food crises is not an option for farmers. They feel the responsibility to feed the world, but none can work alone.

TheSOFI 2022 report describes a bleak scenario: we are moving backwards in our efforts to end hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its forms.

The recent conflict in Ukraine is worsening this tremendous context, with data showing the most urgent food crisis in human history is behind the door. According to the World Food Programme, the number of severely food insecure people is projected to be 345 million.

International food emergency

As farmers, we play a crucial role in advancing food security since it depends on our ability to keep working—even in emergency conditions—to ensure everyone, everywhere can access fresh, nutritious, and healthy food.

The socioeconomic consequences of the ongoing Ukraine crisis on production and trade disruptions are severely compromising an already difficult situation in agriculture worldwide, where the burden of climate action is on top.

When we hear that agriculture is a significant contributor to climate action and we should shift to other diets or eliminate specific sectors, there is still no answer to the question that immediately comes to mind: who will feed the world healthily and sustainably if not the farmers?

As farmers, we know we have to improve and shift to more sustainable and climate-resilient and nature-positive practices, and we are already doing a lot to contribute to climate action. We change how and what we farm and find practical solutions on the ground that are socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable, as experienced by The Climakers Alliance members.

We have experienced increasingly extreme weather events that have put many of us on our knees, dramatically threatening our production and revenues.

None can work alone

The climate crisis knows no boundaries, and all the world’s farmers are impacted. I often say “the world is a village,” and these times of significant challenges prove just that.

Responsibility of feeding the world

In the latest years, we have experienced increasingly extreme weather events that have put many of us on our knees, dramatically threatening our production and revenues.

We launch an urgent appeal to governments and other decision-makers to take food production seriously and unlock farmers’ capacity to feed the world and recover from shocks by improving their access to inputs, workers, water, seeds, fertilisers and finance. This is the key to succeed and will enable the next generations of farmers to transition to more sustainable agricultural practices.

WRITTEN BY Arnold Puech D’Alissac Farmer and President, World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO)

How companies can drive positive change for their business and society

INTERVIEW

We have been sounding the alarm for years, it’s time for the world to listen

Many people hear the words ‘food crisis in Africa’ and aren’t shocked. It’s been portrayed as the norm in several countries. But it’s not the norm for anyone to be without food.

It’s

WRITTEN BY Dr Asha Mohammed Secretary General, Kenyan Red Cross Society

certainly not the norm that Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are experiencing the worst drought in four decades. Communities here contribute the least tothe climate crisis yet find themselves at the centre of its devastation.

Water supply

Communities are not helpless. Across Kenya, farmers are adapting to deal with extreme weather. Where agriculture has been affected, the approach must be to invest.

In Taita–Taveta and Bomet counties in southern and western Kenya, the Red Cross, with the support of funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, is working with farmers to build new water points to ensure there is enough supply during dry periods, diversifying crop, breeding different animals and creating farmers collectives. As a result of player support, farmers increased their food production and bargaining power in markets.

The wider community also benefited from access to clean water and food in markets. This kind of adaptation is the only way they can have a future.

Where agriculture has been affected, the approach must be to invest.

Lack of food

Currently, we’re at a critical point where these programmes are not enough. Over 146 million people are struggling without the food they need. This number is rapidly increasing.

Prolonged droughts have left lands bone dry — killing livestock, destroying crops and cutting off income and food.

Extreme weather is only one part of this perfect storm. Covid-19, the price increases caused by the Ukraine conflict and a lack of investment have

all contributed to this devastating situation.

The real urgency

The daily reality for people is bleak. Parents are being forced to skip meals so that children can eat. We’ve heard tragic stories of families being forced to leave elderly loved ones behind because they are too weak to face the long journey to find food.

No one should be forced into making such decisions. There’s another way.

Red Cross teams, enabled by funds awarded through Postcode International Trust, are helping communities to recover and eventually thrive. We cannot ignore that, right now, we need to help people survive. We need urgent global financial commitments to help provide this relief. Five years ago, we averted a catastrophe in the region — we can do this again.

We must invest in our communities so that we don’t find ourselves on the precipice of catastrophe once more.

Communities across sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing the worst food crisis in decades. Over 146 million people, more than the population of the UK and Canada combined, are suffering without the food they need. But there is hope. We must pull together now to help save lives. Please give today

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