The world’s food system is reaching a breaking point. In 2023, fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, along with the rising frequency of climate-related extreme weather events, are exacerbating longstanding systemic issues.
As a result, hunger has been on the rise after a previous period of decline. By 2021, 150 million more people were facing hunger, compared to 2019.
This year, an estimated 828 million people are unsure where their next meal is coming from, and more than 900,000 people worldwide are dealing with famine-like conditions, the most acute form of food insecurity, a number that is 10 times higher than five years ago. Meanwhile, global food supplies are projected to drop to a three-year low in 2023.