Food systems make up third of global GHG emissions

Tāmaki Makaurau - Food systems account for up to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and are failing 768 million people living in hunger.

In the face of volatile global shocks from conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, the covid pandemic, and extreme weather events, it has become more urgent than ever to transition food systems to a net-zero, nature-positive infrastructure that nourishes and feeds everyone.

Experts are warning about the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine will have on global food security.

Between 720 million and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, around one in 10, according to UN estimates.

Global food security is deteriorating, according to the 2020 Global Food Security Index.

The index measures 59 factors on the state of food affordability, availability, quality, safety and natural resources/resilience in 113 countries. New Zealand is ranked 16th in the world.

Covid, climate change and conflict are among the main drivers of global food insecurity. Conflict and hunger are closely intertwined – when one escalates, the other usually follows.

As in any crisis, it is the poorest and most vulnerable who are hardest hit, and in our globalised world, the impact of this conflict will reverberate across continents.

As the crisis in Ukraine deepens, experts are warning about the impact of the Russian invasion on global food security.

Two years of the pandemic have already taken a considerable toll on global food systems – and the ability of the world to feed its 7.9 billion people.

Between 720 million and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, around one in 10, according to UN estimates – and roughly 70 million to 161 million more people faced hunger in 2020 than in 2019.

Ukraine plays a major role in the global food system. Together with Russia, the two countries account for a combined 12 percent of the food calories traded in the world.

Almost half or about 40 percent of Ukraine’s wheat and corn exports go to the Middle East and Africa, which are already grappling with hunger issues, and where further food shortages or price increases could stoke social unrest.