What's New

The world reached a stark milestone in 2022, with over a quarter of a billion people in 58 countries/territories experiencing acute food insecurity (defined as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or higher), according to the 2023 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC).[1] This number represents the fourth consecutive year of increasing food insecurity rates and the highest level seen in the seven-year publication history of the report. An additional 253 million people in 41 countries/territories experienced lower levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 2 (Stressed)).

The FAO Food Price Index rose slightly in April; but remains almost 20 percent below its April 2022 level. Sharp increases in the price of sugar drove the majority of the month-to-month increase.

Agricultural support policies provide over $800 billion per year in transfers worldwide. Such policies encompass a broad range of government instruments to support the agriculture sector, which are typically funded from taxpayers and consumers. These include “coupled” subsidies intended to incentivize producers to expand output, “decoupled subsidies” that avoid shifting production incentives, and market-price support measures such as tariff and non-tariff barriers.

Following fierce farm protests over gluts of Ukrainian grain and other food items in their domestic markets, four European Union countries—Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Hungary—have temporarily imposed import restrictions on key agricultural products from Ukraine. Restrictions in Bulgaria entered into force on April 24, and Romania, another EU member, has considered similar measures. The countries’ governments have stressed that these bans are temporary and imposed out of concern for their own farmers, who are seeing prices and incomes fall.

Over the past decade, the world’s food systems have faced multiple significant shocks, from the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to numerous climate change-driven natural disasters and instances of civil unrest and political instability. These challenges have disrupted markets, driven up food and fertilizer prices and price volatility, reduced food availability and accessibility, and pushed millions of people into hunger.