The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published a recent report called “Making agri-food systems more resilient to shocks and stresses” in which they point out that countries must make their agri-food systems more resilient to shocks and stresses. sudden shocks like those witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have become one of the main drivers of the latest rise in global estimates of hunger.
They added that today there are approximately 3 billion people who cannot afford a healthy diet.
The SOFA 2021 report estimates an additional 1 billion people would join its ranks if a shock cut incomes by a third. Additionally, food costs could rise for as many as 845 million people if critical transportation links were to be disrupted. The report defines shocks as “short-term deviations from long-term trends that have substantial negative effects on a system, people’s well-being, assets, livelihoods, safety, and the ability to withstand shocks.” futures”. Examples include extreme weather events and sudden increases in plant and animal diseases and pests.
The FAO also explained that even before COVID-19 broke out, the world was not on track to meet its commitment to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030. And while food production and supply chains have been Historically vulnerable to weather extremes, armed conflict or increases in global food prices, the frequency and severity of these shocks are increasing.
Consequently, the UN specialized agency recommends that governments make resilience in agri-food systems a strategic part of their responses to current and future challenges.
With information from Press release