Climate Change is Hampering Our Ability to Combat World Hunger

Four years ago, at the EAT Forum in Stockholm, Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson observed that unless we “made peace with nature,” we would never be able to solve the problems of global hunger.

Eliasson suggested to the community of food experts to consider the nexus of a sustainable food supply with the ongoing threat of climate change.

A critical pairing

As we approach the observance of World Food Day on October 16, it is pivotal to consider the challenges of eradicating global hunger in the context of the warming of our planet.

Until 2014, the decades-long-decline in hunger in the world was one of the great achievements of progress — the world’s ability to grow enough food to feed billions of people. Hundreds of millions of people in Africa, Latin American and especially Asia were lifted out of poverty.

Today, that global progress is in jeopardy. We ignore this reality at our peril.

The ranks of the food insecure are increasing

In March 2020, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sounded an alarm as the initial data on global hunger confirmed what we already suspected.

More than 60 million undernourished people, up by 10 million people between 2018 and 2019, joined the ranks of the food insecure. In 2019, over 1.25 billion people experienced moderate food insecurity — and 750 million experienced severe food insecurity.

Hunger, Conflict and COVID 19

The majority of hungry people worldwide live in countries wracked by conflict — 489 million people.

The arrival of the COVID 19 pandemic only aggravates these pressures further.

The battle for survival

With ten years to go until 2030, the year the United Nations set as the target to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we are now off track to achieve them. The SDG target of zero hunger by that date is no longer in reach.

If the global community continues to keep the discussions about solutions to hunger separate from ways to tackle climate change, we will certainly lose the battle for survival.

Failing world leaders: The U.S. and China

The United States and China, the two largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, have taken irresponsible positions regarding ways to keep the earth’s temperature stable.

So, what can citizens do on this World Food Day to create a global grassroots movement that will help put the planet on a more hopeful trajectory to address hunger and the continued warming of the earth?

About the Author

Johanna Mendelson Forman is a Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C,. and an Adjunct Professor at American University’s School of International Service where she teaches a course titled Conflict Cuisine. Johanna is also an expert and special advisor with the Social Gastronomy Movement.

This article was originally published on October 16, 2020, on Inkstickmedia.com. SGM shared with the permission of the author.