A food crisis of unparalleled proportions is being brought about by a combination of conflict, economic upheavals, climatic extremes, and skyrocketing fertilizer prices. Acute food insecurity affects 349 million people in 79 different countries. Around the world, more than 900,000 people are struggling to survive in famine-like conditions. But what is a food crisis?

A food crisis is widespread food scarcity in society. It is frequently brought about by a variety of circumstances, including agricultural failure, population growth, governmental policies, and inaction regarding food production. Hunger, starvation, and malnutrition are frequently caused by food crises in society. The war in Ukraine caused the situation to change tremendously. Due to this, prices for food and compost increased even further, affecting importers and leading some nations to impose trade sanctions. These conditions take a serious toll on employment and health.

 

How does it affect employment rates across the globe?

In many developing nations, the food system is the major source of employment (both for self-employment and paid employment). This system includes a diverse range of activities, such as food processing, transportation, and retail, in addition to farm production. Due to increased poverty, food supply disruption, and alarmingly high levels of hunger and undernourishment, the food insecurity problem lasts longer than it should and has the potential to worsen as it disrupts households' livelihoods, which is typical in developing nations.

 

Effects of food insecurity on human health:

Agriculture impacts health, and health affects agriculture; the two are closely interwoven. The struggle against poverty and hunger in developing nations is hampered by a lack of coordination between the two sectors, and rising food costs make it even more urgent to take action. 

Most of the world's poor population depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, making them the most susceptible to illness. Agriculture provides income that can be used for health care and disease prevention as well as healthy nutrition. In turn, health issues have a huge impact on agriculture. Disease and malnutrition can lower the productivity of agricultural workers and the demand for agricultural products. WHO’s Chan claims that increased food prices and scarcity in produce, brought on by bad weather, the production of biofuels from crops, and commodities market speculation, have undermined global efforts to lower infant mortality, promote maternal health, and combat diseases like tuberculosis. The current task is to conduct a study on these topics and develop jointly applicable agricultural and healthcare policies. In order for these lessons to be replicated and expanded upon, we must find win-win solutions for the poor that make use of the synergies between the two sectors.

 

What are the possible solutions?

Increasing benefit amounts, addressing unemployment, and expanding the scope of nutrition support programs could all contribute to a decrease in food insecurity and hunger. The WFP intends to reduce the severe levels of food insecurity and problems associated with them, such as malnutrition and the high death rate among children under the age of five, by assisting people in developing countries to build sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems for crop cultivation. Lastly, eliminating the middlemen from the food distribution process will return more money to the farmers. Farmers will also have more options to alleviate food poverty in their own communities with greater nutrient diversity by promoting sustainable farming at the local level.