A global food crisis outlook for 2023 (SDG2 Advocacy Hub)

In an extended interview with the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, David Laborde, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute discussed trends for 2023 as it relates to the global food crisis.

Laborde identifies areas for both optimism and pessimism in 2023 and calls for solidarity, leadership, and systems reform to address the global food crisis.

“By the end of 2022, the world will have known one of the worst years in terms of the degradation of the food security situation since 2007-2008. The number of people who are chronically undernourished will be at the level of 15 years ago. At the same time, if we look at the 45 countries most exposed to severe food insecurity, we have now 205 million people who are severely food insecure, an increase of more than 20% this year. Beyond the most vulnerable countries, I think the world has really realized how food systems are sensitive, both economically and politically. Food price inflation has become a topic in every country, from the U.K. to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and so there is a global concern and realization of what is at stake.”

Laborde discussed the 2023 outlook and expects a combination of positive and negative trends: On the negative side, “We have not rebuilt inventories in 2022 for commodities like wheat, so in 2023 we are going to have lower levels of global wheat stocks and that means the world will be very sensitive to any new shocks. On the positive side, hopefully, peace will come in Ukraine and we will not see more conflict in the world. We have already seen the third year of the major climatic event called La Niña and we hope that the weather will go back to normal.”

Read the entire interview transcript here, where you can also watch video clips of the interview.