Ensuring food security

Food price inflation (excluding rice) is affecting all countries, regardless of their level of development, although it is lower than a few months ago. The situation remains fragile, however, due to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world, weather conditions, and the instability of the fertiliser market. By mid-2022, according to the FAO and WFP, 205 million people in 45 countries were acutely food insecure and in need of emergency humanitarian assistance, and the situation has since worsened in 19 countries. In response to this crisis, the temptation for many states has been to focus on domestic supply, by increasing grain stocks and imposing trade restrictions. The international community is also mobilised to facilitate exports from Ukraine and provide food aid. There is also a need to think about ensuring long-term food security, while the environmental imperative is leading to a reconsideration of food production, processing and transport practices, and new technologies can be mobilised for better dissemination of information and for affordable investments.