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Concept
2022–2023 food crises
Summary
During 2022 and 2023 there were food crises in several regions as indicated by rising food prices. In 2022, the world experienced significant food price inflation along with major food shortages in several regions. Sub-Saharan Africa, Iran, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Iraq were most affected. Prices of wheat, maize, oil seeds, bread, pasta, flour, cooking oil, sugar, egg, chickpea and meat increased. The causes were disruption in supply chains from the COVID–19 pandemic, an energy crisis (2021–2023 global energy crisis), the Russian invasion of Ukraine and some effects of climate change on agriculture. Significant floods and heatwaves in 2021 destroyed key crops in the Americas and Europe. Spain and Portugal experienced droughts in early 2022 losing 60-80% of the crops in some areas.
Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, food prices were already record high. 82 million East Africans and 42 million West Africans faced acute food insecurity in 2021. By the end of 2022, more than 8 million Somalis were in need of food assistance. The Food and Agriculture Organization had reported 20% yearly food price increases in February 2022. The war further pushed this increase to 40% in March 2022 but was reduced to 18% by January 2023. Nevertheless, FAO warns of double-digit food inflation persisting in many countries.
Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, agricultural produce reduced significantly. Fuel and transport prices aggravated the complexity of food distribution. Previously, Ukraine was the fourth-largest exporter of corn and wheat, but the Russian invasion crippled supplies resulting in inflation and scarcity of these commodities in dependent countries. This was compounded by the climate crisis diminishing global food reserves.
This caused food riots and famine in different countries. Therefore, China acquired 50% of the world supply of wheat, 60% of rice, and 69% of corn stockpiles in the first half of 2022. The United States increased its farm production by April 2022, also contributing 320 million for the Horn of Africa.
Official source
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