Top photo: © WFP/Josh Estey | In a low-income settlement on the outskirts of Colombo, some parents in Sri Lanka frequently skip meals as means of grappling with the rising cost of food and living.
The world is on its way to “a raging food catastrophe”, Secretary-General António Guterres warned leaders gathered in Bali, alerting them that “people in five separate places are facing famine”.
Without coordinated action, this year’s “crisis of affordability” threatens to become a dire global food shortage in 2023, the UN chief told the G20 Summit in Indonesia on Tuesday.
More of what he said at the G20 summit₁:
- There is still a crunch in the global fertiliser market (cut off supply from Russia & China)
- Governments in the global south lack the ability to help their people cope with rising food & fertiliser prices
- Changing weather patterns, droughts & storms are disrupting crop cycles & fisheries
- Many developing countries cannot cope with the soaring energy prices which indirectly affects food production
Our Takeaway
Countries are still fighting one another & putting the food supplies of others at risk for their own benefits / preservation. The selfish nature of humans are not going away anytime soon.
The food security issues present today stem from the highest level of governments – from conflict, climate manipulation₂ & the exploitation of weaker countries – the greed for power & wealth. It is wishful to hope for the holders of power to act benevolently.
What we have control over is our ability & choice to grow healthy food in our homes, offices & communities.
Grow, eat & thrive,
Jake Oh
Founder // Grow Big Grow Home
