UN Report Shows that Record Food Prices are Affecting Food Security
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its Food Outlook report in November 2022, detailing developments affecting global food and feed markets. Of the global food import bill, countries are estimated to spend an all-time high of $1.94 trillion in 2022, up 10% from last year for foodstuffs, including cereals, oil, crops, sugar, meat, dairy, and fish. In other words, food prices are affecting food security for people all across the globe.
Threats affecting food security
Food security has long been destabilized and recently, the world population has risen to eight billion, which only exacerbates the already high demand for food. This was made worse by the onset of COVID-19, which affected supply chains. Also, changing weather patterns are increasing the chances of crop failure, significantly impacting farming communities that are already disproportionately poor and vulnerable. In addition to climate change, food supplies have dwindled due to geopolitical tension, particularly the Ukraine and Russia conflict. Furthermore, the unequal production and distribution of food makes it much harder for those with limited resources to access safe, healthy food.
The US was not spared from these supply chain bottlenecks. The past three years of supply challenges due to COVID-19 have led to food inflation, with this year seeing more than an 11.2% increase. Aside from the conflicts mentioned above, these food supply problems have been perpetuated by the labor shortage in the agricultural transport chains, limiting cities’ and regions’ access to fast and efficient cross-country food deliveries.
Rise of nutrition insecurity
Food security is a necessity that must be continually catered to, which is why many organizations and government agencies struggle to meet the needs of a growing number of people. As a result, even developed countries have neglected aspects of nutrition that would otherwise support health and prevent diseases. In the case of the US, our post “The Gap: Food Security and Nutrition Security” notes as many as 42 million Americans are affected by food insecurity. A write-up on social issues in healthcare by Maryville University dissects how class and income play a significant role in determining food security and health. Costs remain a major obstacle even with outside help, which is why poor and working-class people suffer the most.
Although soup kitchens, food pantries, and government assistance programs are relatively accessible, nutrition security is often left unfulfilled. Nutritious foods are usually priced higher, keeping them beyond the budget of people with an already limited income. Moreover, food deserts and food swamps make non-nutritious options like fast food cheaper and more available, making it challenging to address nutrition security issues.
The fight against food & health crisis
Implementing the changes needed to eliminate hunger and improve nutrition will take time. But with prominent issues plaguing the world, the US Government has taken a step alongside multiple organizations to address these problems. Technology and sustainable development are at the forefront of the fight against world hunger. Some retail companies are developing strategies to reduce food losses and waste, such as better sales forecasting through machine learning and expert systems like artificial intelligence (AI). Food production also sees unprecedented growth through better preventive medicine in building robustness and resilience among crops and livestock.
Several US agencies and governing bodies have recently been setting programs to end hunger, advance nutrition, and improve health. As shown by an NPR report on the US diet, there are growing movements to integrate food and nutrition as a crucial part of healthcare. Food programs, such as GusNIP and Double Bucks, are shifting away from the quantity of food and are now focusing on the quality of food. There has also been more significant support for farmers using regenerative farming techniques, growing a greater variety of healthy crops to not only support healthy diets but also prevent the depletion of nutrients within the farm soil.
This is why Our Mission is to fight for nutrition security and health equity for all. We are increasing awareness about food and nutrition insecurity in those with diet-treated illnesses, such as severe food allergies and celiac disease. By supporting organizations like FEI, you can help fight food and nutrition insecurity, supporting people in need across the United States.