Resources

Global markets faced renewed pressures in April as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz continued to disrupt fertilizer supply, pushing urea and phosphate prices higher and further eroding fertilizer affordability. Supply chain disruptions, combined with higher energy and logistics costs, intensified production challenges. Policy responses included export restrictions on key fertilizer inputs, revised trade measures, and adjustments to biofuel mandates. Against this backdrop, crop conditions remained broadly favourable: wheat and maize benefited from generally good weather although rainfall is needed in some parts, rice harvests progressed across Asia and South America, and soybean harvesting in the southern hemisphere advanced. However, rising input costs highlight growing risks for future agricultural production, including shifting area to less input-intensive crops.

The brief synthesizes robust evidence on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices on adaptive crop management and agroforestry that strengthen household resilience to climate shocks in Burkina Faso and Africa south of the Sahara (SSA). The findings highlight a set of proven practices, including agroforestry, farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR), improved seeds, integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), and composting. These practices deliver consistent benefits in terms of yield gains, improved soil fertility, enhanced water retention, diversified incomes, and stronger food security under climate stress.

The food security situation in Lebanon has worsened following the drastic escalation in hostilities and widespread displacement that began in early March 2026. Around 1.24 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between April and August 2026, which is worse than was previously projected for this period in the IPC analysis released in October 2025. The declining food security conditions are experienced among all population groups and reverses any improvements observed in the previous reporting period. The biggest increases in populations in Phase 3 or above are found in the southern governorates, particularly in Bent Jbeil, Marjaayoun, El Nabatieh and Sour districts, among both Lebanese and Syrian refugee populations. In these areas, high levels of acute food insecurity are affecting 55 to 65 percent of the population, including approximately 10 percent of people who are in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).

Between April and July 2026, an estimated 7.8 million people in South Sudan are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC AFI Phase 3 or above). This represents an increase of approximately 280,000 people compared to the September 2025 IPC analysis. Around 73,000 people are classified in IPC AFI Phase 5 (Catastrophe) and are experiencing extreme food consumption gaps associated with starvation, heightened risk of death, and the collapse of livelihoods. A further 2.5 million people are in IPC AFI Phase 4 (Emergency), facing large food gaps and very high levels of acute malnutrition, while approximately 5.3 million people in IPC AFI Phase 3 (Crisis) are unable to meet essential food needs without resorting to unsustainable coping strategies.

Prolonged dry spells, flooding, persistently high staple food prices, declining household purchasing power, and limited income opportunities are driving around 10 percent of the analysed population in rural districts of mainland Tanzania into high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). The impact is particularly severe among households that depend on agricultural labour, livestock, and crop production. During the current analysis period (February–May 2026), which coincides with the peak lean season in single‑season (unimodal) agricultural districts, approximately 1 million people are experiencing IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) conditions, unable to meet their essential food requirements and resorting to unsustainable coping measures.
This IPC analysis for mainland Tanzania covers 30 vulnerable rural districts across 11 regions, including 20 districts with bimodal agricultural seasons and 10 districts with a unimodal season. Together, these districts are home to approximately 10 million people, representing around 15 percent of the national population. These areas are repeatedly affected by shocks—such as climatic variability and market instability—that consistently undermine food security and erode household purchasing power.

The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026 reveals that acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain at alarmingly high and deeply entrenched levels, with crises increasingly concentrated in a core group of countries. In its tenth edition, the report shows that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, with two famines declared last year for the first time in its history. As a flagship publication of the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), the GRFC serves as the key reference for understanding acute food insecurity at global, regional and country levels. Produced through a collaborative effort among 18 partners, it provides a consensus-based assessment of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in countries affected by food crises, with the aim of informing and guiding both humanitarian and development responses.

Despite limited improvements compared with the projection published in September 2025, the food security situation in Haiti remains critical. Between March and June 2026, over 5.83 million people (52 percent of the analysed population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). This represents a marginal improvement compared to the previous estimate of 5.91 million people in Phase 3 or worse.
The food security crisis is marked by ongoing armed violence, the impacts of Hurricane Melissa that hit the southern part of the country in October 2025, and economic collapse which is further exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East.

The brief synthesizes robust evidence on soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs), a subset of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices that strengthen household resilience to climate shocks in Burkina Faso and Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings highlight a set of proven practices, including zai pits, half-moons, stone bunds, mulching, irrigation and sustainable water harvesting and management. These practices have demonstrated measurable impacts on yield gains, improved soil fertility, increased water retention, enhanced food security, and income stability, particularly in drought-prone and degraded environments.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent shockwaves across the global economy through energy markets, with spillovers to the agricultural sector, as detailed in this month’s feature article. The recent AMIS Rapid Response Forum underscored the need for continued vigilance amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Against this backdrop, agricultural prices moved unevenly in March. Wheat and maize prices edged higher, while rice prices declined and soybean prices were slightly softer. Vegetable oil prices generally strengthened, reflecting expectations of higher biodiesel demand. Prices of futures for wheat, maize and soybeans firmed modestly but remained largely rangebound, as heightened uncertainty was tempered by ample global supplies. In parallel, several countries adjusted fertilizer policies in response to concerns over access and availability.

This research brief presents evidence that shifting attention from single shocks and population averages toward cumulative, multi-shock exposure can substantially improve anticipatory action, targeting, and the effectiveness of scarce humanitarian and development resources.