The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken food systems around the globe. Lockdowns deprived millions of labourers and migrant workers of their livelihoods, and curtailed their ability to buy food. In some countries, informal food markets experienced temporary shutdowns. An estimated 130 million people may be affected by acute food insecurity related to Covid-19 impacts.

In addition to Covid-19, the climate crisis threatens food security. Climatic hazards such as prolonged droughts, floods, and storms, increase land degradation. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that we are likely to see a significant decline in the yields of major cereal crops by 2100 (ranging 20–45 per cent for maize, 5–50 per cent for wheat, and 20–30 per cent for rice), if greenhouse gases continue to be emitted at current rates.

Read the full piece here.