Recently the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) has published its annual report titled “Global Report on Food Crises” for the year 2022. The report is the flagship publication of the GNAFC and is facilitated by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN).
The GRFC focuses on food crises where the local capacities to respond are insufficient, prompting a request for the urgent mobilization of the international community. The report focuses on countries/territories where there is ample evidence that the magnitude and severity of the food crises exceed the local resources and capacities needed to respond effectively.
The GRFC provides estimates for the population in countries/territories where data are available based on Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and Cadre Harmonise (CH) or comparable sources. Populations in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent are in need of urgent food and livelihood assistance.
About the Global Report for Food Crises 2022
The Global Report for Food Crises 2022 (GRFC 2022) is the sixth annual report of the GNAFC.
The GRFC 2022 is the result of a multi-partner, consensus-based process involving many individuals in international humanitarian and development.
The publication was carried out under the direction of the Food Security Information Network (FSIN).
The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises highlights the alarming deterioration of acute food insecurity in 2021 in numerous food-crises countries/territories.
The report highlights the remarkably high severity and numbers of people in Crisis or worse (IPH/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent in 53 countries/territories, driven by persistent conflict, pre-existing and COVID-19-related economic shocks, and weather extremes.
The number identified in the 2022 edition is the highest in the report’s six-year existence.
Key highlights of the Global Report on Food Crisis 2022
- Some 40 million more people globally experienced acute food insecurity at Crisis or worse levels in 2021 than in 2020.
- As per the report, around 193 million people in 53 countries/territories experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels in 2021.
- Of these, over half a million people (5,70,000) in Ethiopia, southern Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen were classified in the most severe phase of acute food insecurity catastrophe.
- These countries require urgent action to avert a widespread collapse of livelihood, starvation and death.
- When comparing the 39 countries/territories that were consistently in food crises in all six editions of the report, the number of people facing Crises or worse nearly doubled between 2016 and 2021, up from 94 million in 2016 to almost 180 million in 2021, with unabated rises each year since 2018.
- An additional 236 million people were stressed across 41 countries/territories in 2021 and required livelihood support and assistance for disaster risk reduction to prevent them from slipping into worse levels of acute food security.
- In 2021, almost 70% of the total number of people in Crisis or worse or equivalent were found in 10 food crisis countries/territories.
- The outlook for global acute food insecurity in 2022 is excepted to deteriorate further relative to 2021.
Main causes of Food Crises
As per the GRFC 2022, the key drivers behind rising acute food insecurity in 2021 were as follow:
- Conflict: Conflict forced 139 million people in 24 countries/territories into acute food insecurity. There is an increase from 99 million in 23 countries/territories in 2020.
- Weather Extremes: Weather extremes forced over 23 million people in 8 countries/territories into acute food insecurity, up from 15.7 million in 15 countries/territories in 2020.
- Economic Shocks: Over 30 million people in 21 countries/territories suffered acute food insecurity in 2021 due to economic shocks, down from over 40 million people in 17 countries/territories in 2020.
Suggestions
- Have an integrated approach to prevention, anticipation, and better targeting to sustainably address the root causes of the food crises, including structural rural poverty, marginalization, population growth and fragile food systems.
- Need for greater prioritization of smallholder agriculture as a frontline humanitarian response, to overcome access constraints, and as a solution for reverting negative long-term trends.
- Promoting structural changes to the way external financing is distributed so that humanitarian assistance can be reduced over time through longer-term development investments, which can tackle the root causes of hunger.
- Need to strengthen a coordinated approach to ensure that humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping activities are delivered in a holistic and coordinated manner.
- Ensure and avoid further fuelling conflict as an unintended consequence will also contribute to resilience building and recovery.
FAQs
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What is ‘GNAFC’?
The Global Network Against Food Crisis (GNAFC) was founded by the European Union (EU), Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), and World Food Programme (WFP) in 2016.
It is an alliance of humanitarian and development actors working together to prevent, prepare for, and respond to food crises and support the Sustainable Development Goal to End Hunger (SDG 2).
It was launched during the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) to respond to WHS’s call for new approaches to tackle protracted crises and recurred disasters, reduce vulnerability, and manage risk by bridging the divide between development and humanitarian partners. -
What is Food Security Information Network?
FSIN is a global initiative co-sponsored by FAO, WFP, and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
It seeks to strengthen food and nutrition security information systems for producing reliable and accurate data to guide analysis and decision-making. -
What is Food Security?
Food security means the availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all people at all times.
Availability of food means food production within the country, food imports and the previous year’s stock in government granaries.
Accessibility means food within reach of every person.
Affordability implies that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient, healthy and nutritious food to meet one’s dietary needs. -
What is Acute Food Insecurity?
Acute food insecurity is when persons’ inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger.
It is more severe than (but not the same as) chronic hunger, as reported each year by the UN’s annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report -
What is Chronic hunger?
Chronic hunger is when a person is unable to consume enough food over an extended period to maintain a normal active lifestyle.
Source: The Global Report on Food Crises 2022