The Stories and Stats Behind the Food Crisis

Through statistics and stories, we can see just how disrupted our food systems are, amidst the food crises that exist, but each of us has a powerful role to play in shaping a better food future.

Conflict Crises

Conflict is the leading driver of hunger, responsible for over 70% of current food crises (WFP, 2024). In Gaza and Sudan, violence has pushed millions to the brink of famine (UN News, 2024). In Ukraine, the war has disrupted global grain exports, driving up prices that ripple across Africa and the Middle East (FAO, 2023). In Afghanistan and Yemen, years of instability have destroyed livelihoods and infrastructure, leaving millions dependent on humanitarian food aid (UNICEF, 2024). Conflict is harrowing; challenging not only our societies, but the bare necessities required for life, including food. 

Cost Crises

Secondly, cost and access to food are vulnerable across the world. The World Food Programme estimates that around 318 million people now face severe food insecurity, more than double the number in 2020 (WFP, 2024). Additionally, approximately 2.3  billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024, and 2.6  billion could not afford a healthy diet, underscoring how economic barriers continue to restrict access to adequate nutrition globally (SOFI, 2025).

Climate Crises

Meanwhile, the climate crisis is amplifying this vulnerability across the globe. It threatens food production, nutrient quality, our economic systems, the livelihoods of our farmers and the cultural traditions of entire communities. Here are a few snapshots: 

• The World Meteorological Organization reports that the number of extreme climate-related disasters has doubled since the 1990s (WMO, 2023). 
• In Pakistan, catastrophic floods in 2022 displaced 8 million people and wiped out a season’s harvest (World Bank, 2023). 
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms that rising temperatures are already reducing the nutrient content of staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize (IPCC, 2022). 
• Climate disasters cost the agricultural sector over USD 100 billion every decade, destabilising smallholder livelihoods (FAO, 2023). 

In a world that consistently experiences climate, conflict, and economic shocks (wild fires, wars, tariffs and pandemics are all recent examples), we cannot depersonalise responsibility for how we value and utilise life giving food.

Chef Natacha Gomez-Dupuy

Natacha is a chef and sustainability leader using food to protect the planet, celebrate nature, and create positive change from farm to plate.

“As an Eativist Chef, my approach to food transcends the plate; it’s about dignity, identity, and sovereignty. I advocate for good food. Food that is nutritious, locally sourced, and empowering to the communities that grow it.

I know intimately that good food is vulnerable to disruption because I saw its potential shattered firsthand in my native Haiti. Traveling from the North to the South for research, I witnessed the incredible potential in local agriculture. I worked with farmers who could be transformative exporters, especially those cultivating the versatile breadfruit in the South. Breadfruit is a resilient crop, a lifeline. However, disasters like Hurricane Matthew and the political instability and conflict constantly sweeping the nation, clear socio-political disruption, meant we could never launch the food festival dedicated to showcasing its modern culinary potential. The volatility choked the economic power of these farmers, demonstrating that even the hardiest, most nourishing food is fragile when infrastructure and governance fail.

My practical tip for the general public is this: Prioritise pantry resilience through non-perishable local staples. Seek out and stock versatile, shelf-stable ingredients unique to your region that require minimal external inputs to prepare. This practice reduces reliance on complex, international supply chains and economically supports local producers who are fighting their own disruptions.”

Chef Grace Ramirez

Grace is a community chef and food advocate who believes good food starts with strong relationships – using cooking to honour culture, bring people together, and build fairer food systems.

“Good food, to me, has always been about care – for people, culture, and community. During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, I witnessed firsthand how fragile our food systems truly are. Supply chains collapsed, workers disappeared overnight, and access to fresh, nourishing food became a privilege rather than a right. Many of our beloved restaurants – the heartbeat of our neighbourhoods – didn’t survive.

During that time, it was a privilege to work alongside World Central Kitchen, helping keep restaurants open by purchasing food from them while also feeding our communities and frontline workers. Through this work, and as part of The Humans Who Feed Us movement supported by Justice for Migrant Women, I’ve seen clearly that good food depends on people, not just systems – and when those people are vulnerable, the entire system is at risk.

One simple but meaningful action anyone can take is to be a conscious consumer. Your buying power matters. Building relationships with nearby farmers, cooks, and food makers strengthens local resilience and keeps food moving during times of disruption. Good food survives when communities invest in each other before a crisis hits.”

Chef Kenji Morimoto

Kenji is a chef, food preserver and author of cookbook FERMET, who keeps ancestral traditions alive, sharing the simple skills that helped families survive and still help communities care for one another today.

“Whether through pickling or fermentation, preservation has always been a defining presence in my life. As a fourth-generation Japanese American raised in Chicago, my weekends were spent at farmers’ markets with my parents, where I developed a deep appreciation for locality. These early experiences shaped my career: from my work in professional kitchens to my debut cookbook, FERMENT, where I translate ancestral processes for the modern home cook.

Fermentation stands in quiet defiance of modern food systems. It teaches us to transform surplus into nourishment, effectively reducing both waste and cost. I believe that home-based preservation is essential to our collective history; it is a skill that ensured the survival of our ancestors, no matter their origin. By returning to these basics—often requiring nothing more than salt, vegetables, and a jar—we reclaim a sense of agency. We aren’t just making food; we are participating in a legacy of innovation and survival.”