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The pandemic, global interruption to supply chains, rising costs of major primary commodities, conflicts and humanitarian <keyword id="1541218" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crises" source="Orion">crises</keyword> threaten the functioning of world agrifood systems, <keyword id="7790373" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="qu-dongyu" source="Orion">QU Dongyu</keyword>, Director-General of the <keyword id="397960" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="food-and-agriculture-organisation" source="Orion">Food and Agriculture Organisation</keyword> of the <keyword id="6355833" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="united-nations" source="Orion">United Nations</keyword> (<keyword id="18639" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fao" source="Orion">FAO</keyword>), said. "We are at serious risk of facing a food access crisis now, and probably a food availability crisis for the next season. All this has put at risk our efforts to achieve the SDGs," Qu said at the opening of the 2022 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York on Tuesday. The HLPF is the main United Nations platform for following up and reviewing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the <keyword id="879547" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sustainable-development-goals" source="Orion">Sustainable Development Goals</keyword> on the global level. "We must prevent the acceleration of acute food insecurity trends in the coming months and years," Qu said. The FAO Director-General outlined measures to be taken by the international community to address the situation. These include food production at the country-level must be expanded, cash and critical inputs are needed for cereal and vegetable production and to protect livestock with treatments, vaccinations, feed and water and agrifood supply chains and value chains must be strengthened with the engagement of the public and the private sectors, to support smallholder farmers and households. In addition, livelihoods, agrifood systems and economies need protection against future shocks. Speaking later in the day at the FAO-led side event, "Agrifood Systems Transformation for a Resilient World: Responding to Global Crises," Qu said, "We only have eight years before our agreed timeline to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. We have no time to lose." Qu summarised the scale of the task ahead, pointing to the impacts of the pandemic, conflicts, and the cumulative loss to the global economy of more than $12 trillion in 2020 and 2021, setting back progress on the SDGs. To overcome these problems, he outlined four main areas that need attention: Investment in the countries most in need; policies that increase productivity and protect natural resources; ensuring more efficient use of available inputs and outputs; and the importance of innovation, science and research. Timely food aid is required but there needs to be more attention on producing nutritious food locally, FAO advocates. Only eight per cent of all food security funding in emergencies goes to assist agricultural production but investing in agriculture and rural livelihoods is seven to 10 times more cost-effective than traditional assistance. "We must put policies in place that both increase productivity and protect natural resources," Qu said. Qu also spoke of the need to ensure better and more efficient use of available outputs and inputs, citing the examples of global water stress, food loss and waste, and using fertilizer more efficiently. Around one billion hectares of land face severe water constraints and almost 800 million hectares of rainfed cropland and pastureland are severely affected by recurring drought. Better use of the best technology and regulation for the efficient use of water in agriculture is needed. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-seeks-judicial-review-against-new-content-blocking-directives-from-the-it-ministry/articleshow/92677831.cms">Twitter seeks judicial review against new content blocking directives from the IT Ministry</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/infy-lic-reliance-and-6-more-stocks-that-mutual-funds-are-going-long-on/articleshow/92693363.cms">Infosys is the most favourite mutual fund stock – find out the eight others</a>

The world is on the verge of a food crisis - access and availability both

New Delhi, Apr 1 () Heads of WTO, UNFAO and WHO have asked all countries to ensure that trade-related measures taken to combat coronavirus don't disrupt food supply chain as millions of people globally are dependent on international trade for food security and livelihoods. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, Director-General (DG) of World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Aevedo, Director-General of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) QU Dongyu, and Director General of World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as countries move to enact measures aiming to halt the accelerating COVID-19 pandemic, care must be taken to minimise potential impacts on food supply or unintended consequences on global trade and food security. "When acting to protect the health and well-being of their citizens, countries should ensure that any trade-related measures do not disrupt the food supply chain. "Such disruptions including hampering the movement of agricultural and food industry workers and extending border delays for food containers, result in spoilage of perishables and increasing food waste," it said. The statement said food trade restrictions could also be linked to unjustified concerns on food safety. Expressing concerns, it said uncertainty about food availability can spark a wave of export restrictions, creating a shortage in the global market. "Such reactions can alter the balance between food supply and demand, resulting in price spikes and increased price volatility...In the midst of the COVID-19 lockdowns, every effort must be made to ensure that trade flows as freely as possible, specially to avoid food shortage," it said. The DGs also asked countries to ensure that information on food-related trade measures, levels of food production, consumption and stocks, as well as food prices, is available to all in real time as it will reduce uncertainty and allow producers, consumers and traders to make informed decisions. "Above all, it helps contain 'panic buying' and the hoarding of food and other essential items," it said. "We must ensure that our response to COVID-19 does not unintentionally create unwarranted shortages of essential items and exacerbate hunger and malnutrition." RR RVK

WTO, UNFAO, WHO call for keeping food trade flowing amid COVID-19 restrictions

By Yoshita Singh United Nations, Apr 22 () The UN food relief agency has warned that the world is on the brink of a "hunger pandemic" and could face multiple famines of biblical proportions within few months if nations don't act now to avoid funding shortfalls and disruptions to trade due to COVID-19, which continues to spread unabated. The novel coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last, has so far infected over 2,565,290 people and claimed more than 177,770 lives."While dealing with a COVID-19 pandemic, we are also on the brink of a hunger pandemic," David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said at a virtual session of the UN Security Council on the 'Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Protecting Civilians Affected by Conflict-Induced Hunger' on Tuesday."There are no famines yet. But I must warn you that if we don't prepare and act now -- to secure access, avoid funding shortfalls and disruptions to trade -- we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short few months," he said.Beasley said with COVID-19, the world not only faces a global health pandemic but also a global humanitarian catastrophe. Millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation, with the spectre of famine a very real and dangerous possibility, he noted. Beasley said 821 million people go to bed chronically hungry every night all over the world. A further 135 million people are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse. "But now the World Food Programme analysis shows that due to coronavirus, an additional 130 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020. That's a total of 265 million people," he said.Noting that the global spread of COVID-19 this year has sparked "the worst humanitarian crisis since World War-II", Beasley pointed to deepening crises, more frequent natural disasters and changing weather patterns, saying, "We're already facing a perfect storm."WFP currently offers a lifeline to nearly 100 million people -- up from about 80 million just a few years ago. "If we can't reach these people with the life-saving assistance they need, our analysis shows that 300,000 people could starve to death every single day over a three-month period. This does not include the increase of starvation due to COVID-19," Beasley said.He called on the Security Council to "act now" and "lead the way", saying the world needs peace first and foremost to deal with the challenges.Beasley asked that all involved in the fighting provide "swift and unimpeded" humanitarian access to vulnerable communities and for coordinated action to support life-saving assistance, along with USD 350 million in new funding, to set up a network of logistics hubs to keep worldwide humanitarian supply chains moving. He stressed, "We do not have time on our side, so let's act wisely – and let's act fast." Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, in the conference highlighted how the newly released 2020 Global Report on Food Crises report clearly links conflict and rising levels of acute food insecurity.Against the backdrop of 135 million people in 55 countries experiencing acute food insecurity in 2019, nearly 60 per cent of whom lived in conflict or instability, Qu cited Yemen as the nation that is facing the world's worst food and malnutrition crisis this year.The number of acutely food-insecure people in Yemen is "expected to exceed 17 million", he said.The FAO chief also drew a connection between livelihood interventions and peace processes, spelling out that "coherent actions are needed among humanitarian, development and peace actors to address the root causes of acute food insecurity". Stressing that "the forecasts for food security in 2020 look bleak", he underscored the importance of early warning and quick action to pre-empt food insecurity caused by conflicts.While conflicts, extreme weather, desert locusts, economic shocks and now COVID-19, are likely to "push more people into acute food insecurity", Qu said there is a ray of hope and "by closely monitoring the evolution of these shocks, we can rapidly intervene to mitigate their impacts""Noting that widespread conflict and instability lead to food insecurity and reducing or preventing conflict reduces and prevents hunger, the FAO chief said, "We have mobilised our organizations in ways not seen since the foundation of the UN." YAS SCYSCY

World could face multiple famines of biblical proportions due to COVID-19: UN body

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The world is on the verge of a food crisis - access and availability both

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WTO, UNFAO, WHO call for keeping food trade flowing amid COVID-19 restrictions

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World could face multiple famines of biblical proportions due to COVID-19: UN body

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