Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2021)

The fifth edition of the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2021) was released on May 5, 2021. A high-level virtual event was held by the Global Network Against Food Crises founding partners (European Union, FAO & WFP).

The 2021 Global Report on Food Crises highlights the remarkably high severity and numbers

of people in crisis or worse or equivalent in 55 countries/territories, driven by persistent conflict, pre-existing and COVID-19-related economic shocks, and weather extremes. The number identified in the 2021 edition is the highest in the report’s five-year existence.

UPSC aspirants can refer to the linked article and get a comprehensive list of Reports Published by International Organizations for the upcoming Civil Services Exam. 

In this article, we shall discuss at length the key findings and a brief overview of the GRFC 2021. Questions based on the same might be asked in the General Studies – 2 paper for the upcoming IAS Exam.

Global Report on Food Crises 2021 [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

Global Report on Food Crises 2021 – Key Findings

The GRFC 2021 provides an overview of food crises in 2020 using acute food insecurity estimates for populations in countries/territories where data are based on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and Cadre Harmonisé (CH) or comparable sources. 

• The magnitude and severity of food crises worsened in 2020 as protracted conflict, the economic fallout of COVID-19 and weather extremes exacerbated pre-existing fragilities
• Of the 55 food crises identified in 2020, 10 stood out in terms of the number of people in Crisis or worse or equivalent:

• It estimates that at least 155 million people were acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance or equivalent in 2020 in 55 countries/ territories that asked for external assistance – the highest level in five years of GRFC reporting
• Children living in food-crisis countries/territories are especially vulnerable to malnutrition. 15.8 million children under 5 years in the 55 food-crisis countries/territories were wasted, while 75.2 were stunted
• It represents an increase of nearly 20 million people since 2019, when almost 135 million people were in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent, in 55 countries/territories
• In three countries, more than half of the population analysed was in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) or equivalent. These include:
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • South Sudan
  • Central African Republic
• Over 142 million people in 40 out of the 55 countries/ territories included in the GRFC 2021 are forecast to be in crisis or worse or equivalent in 2021

Read in detail about Food Security in India at the linked article. 

Global Food Crises 2020 Overview

• The number of people in Crisis or worse in 2020 was nearly 20 million higher than in 2019 (134.7 million in 55 countries/territories)
• Out of the 47 million children suffering from wasting globally, 15.8 million were in these 55 food crises. Out of the 144 million children affected by stunting globally, 75.2 million were in the 55 food crises
• The major drivers of global food crises in 2020 included:
  • Conflict/insecurity
  • Weather extremes
  • Economic shocks
  • COVID-19 Pandemic
• Women are more exposed to hard-hit economic sectors and have lost their livelihoods faster. According to a worldwide analysis commissioned by UN Women and UNDP, by 2021 around 435 million women and girls will be living on less than USD 1.90 a day – including 47 million pushed into poverty as a result of the pandemic
• The data shows that each country identified primarily as a conflict-driven food crisis in 2019 remained so in 2020. However, the numbers of people in Crisis have increased by 22 million from 77.1 million in 2019

Candidates preparing for the upcoming Civil Services Exam can read in detail about Challenges in Achieving Food Security in India at the linked article. 

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Crises

• In April 2020, the global coverage of nutrition services for women, children and adolescents declined by nearly 40 per cent at the start of the pandemic
• The COVID-19 pandemic and large-scale economic crises are expected to extend food-crisis situations in 2021, necessitating continuing large-scale humanitarian assistance. Refer to Coronavirus & Impact on Economy: RSTV – Big Picture
• In some countries, the pandemic has turned pre-existing nutrition crises – driven by poverty, conflict, natural disasters and weather extremes – into nutrition disasters

A Global Hunger Index is also released annually which measures countries’ performance on four component indicators – undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality. Read in detail about the index and India’s status as per the report at the linked article. 

Global Report on Food Crises 2021 [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

Get the updated prelims and mains UPSC Syllabus for the upcoming civil service examinations at the linked article. 

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