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Millions of people across 22 countries and territories may be pushed into acute food insecurity by May 2025, according to the latest FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots Report. Ongoing and increasing conflict in many areas of the world, along with economic hardships and extreme weather caused by climate change and the La Niña phenomenon, are behind this significant increase in both the magnitude and the severity of acute food insecurity.

Rising dairy and vegetable oil prices drove the FAO Food Price Index up by 5.7 percent from November 2023 and to the highest value seen since April 2023. The Index remained more than 20 percent below the peak reached in March 2022, however.

The global food system is uniquely vulnerable to climate impacts, making adaptation of paramount importance. While contributing roughly one-third of total anthropogenic emissions, food systems around the world fortunately also hold immense potential for mitigation through improved practices and land use. A new article published today in Science emphasizes the critical role of agrifood value chains (AVCs) in supporting both adaptation and mitigation at the farm level.

Russia’s recent attacks on Greater Odesa port infrastructure and grain-carrying vessels in the Black Sea marked the most intense attacks on Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure in over a year. In September, according to the United Nations, Russian attacks damaged grain infrastructure and six civilian vessels in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Russian ballistic missiles then struck foreign-flagged ships on October 6, October 7, October 9, and October 14, also damaging a grain warehouse and other port infrastructure with the October 14 strike.

Climate change is increasing the frequency of adverse weather events and reducing agricultural productivity, particularly in warmer regions of the world (Ortiz-Bobea et al 2021). Smallholder farming households in developing countries depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and spend a larger proportion of their income on food,  making them the most vulnerable to harvest failures  (Hallegatte et al 2020).