The Ukraine crisis, global food and nutrition security and country owned food systems

Challenges and opportunities arising from the ongoing cost-of-living crisis

The Ukraine crisis has exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis and poses major threats to global food and nutrition security and country owned food systems. Marjeta Jager (Deputy Director-General INTPA) and Gerda Verburg (UN ASG and Scaling Up Nutrition Movement coordinator) will address the challenges and opportunities of high food prices and make the case for an integrated approach necessary to reverse negative implications on dietary intake and thereby nutritional status.

The first half of 2022 has raised the spectre of yet another global crisis compromising aspirations for a better world by 2030: On top of the continuing pandemic, conflict and instability, including most recently in Ukraine, pose a major threat to global food and nutrition security and country owned food systems. This year's EU-supported Global Report on Food Crises estimates that in 2021, 193 million people experienced 'crisis' levels of acute food insecurity (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) and needed urgent assistance across 53 countries/territories. This humanitarian crisis also threatens to exacerbate the unfavourable outlook for nutrition. Russia and Ukraine provide around 30% of global wheat exports. As a result, prices of wheat have soared since the war began. This undermines people's ability to afford a healthy diet and improve their nutritional status – especially vulnerable populations. The UN Secretary General has warned that the Ukraine crisis could lead to a 'hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system', while the World Food Programme has expressed grave fears that 2022 could be a year of catastrophic hunger. The need for an integrated approach, addressing both food security and nutrition is critical. This includes besides short- and medium support to countries in need, a long-term strategy in fighting hunger and multiple forms of malnutrition. A food systems transformation is necessary to absorb stresses, be more resilient, and ensure nutritious and healthy diets even in the face of crises.

Speakers

Marjeta Jager, Deputy Director-General INTPA

Gerda Verburg, UN ASG and Coordinator of the SUN Movement

Céline Mias, CARE International, EU Representative & Head of Office; representing Generation Nutrition

Wim Olthof, Deputy Head of Unit, INTPA F3 Unit, Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries