Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP

• 01 Jun 2023

For Prelims: Hunger Hotspots, FAO, WFP, Weather Extremes, Food Insecurity, Climate Change, El Nino.

For Mains: Hunger Hotspots – FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity.

Why in News?

According to a recent Report by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Program (WFP) Hunger Hotspots – FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, India’s neighbors, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar, are among the hunger hotspots in the world.

What are the Highlights of the Report?

• Hot Spots with Very High Concern:
  • There are 18 areas in 22 countries where acute Food Insecurity may increase in magnitude and severity.
  • Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic are hotspots with very high concern.
  • All these hotspots have a high number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life‑threatening conditions in the coming months.
• Countries at Highest Concern Level:
  • Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest concern level.
    • Haiti, the Sahel (Burkina Faso and Mali) and the Sudan have been elevated to the highest concern levels; this is due to severe movement restrictions of people and goods in Haiti, as well as in Burkina Faso and Mali, and the recent eruption of Conflict in Sudan.
• Expected to Face Starvation:
  • All the hotspots at the highest level have populations facing or projected to face starvation, or are at risk of deterioration towards catastrophic conditions, given they already have critical food insecurity and are facing severe aggravating factors.
• New Emerging Conflicts:
  • New emerging conflicts, in particular the eruption of conflict in the Sudan, will likely drive global conflict trends and impact several neighbouring countries.
  • The use of explosive ordnance and siege tactics in several hunger hotspots continues to push people into catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity.
• Weather Extremes:
  • Weather extremes, such as heavy rains, tropical storms, Cyclones, Flooding, Drought and increased climate variability, remain significant drivers in some countries and regions.
  • The May 2023 forecast suggests an 82 % likelihood of El Niño conditions starting in the May–July 2023 period, with significant implications for several hunger hotspots.
• Economic Shocks:
  • Deepening economic shocks continue to drive low- and middle-income nations deeper into crisis.

What are the Recommendations?

• Urgent humanitarian action is needed to save lives and livelihoods and prevent starvation and death in hotspots where acute hunger is at a high risk of worsening from June to November 2023.
• Continuous monitoring of forecasts and their impact on production remains critical.
• Urgent and scaled-up assistance is required in all 18 hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and increase access to food.
• This is essential to avert a further deterioration of acute food insecurity and malnutrition.
• In the hotspots of highest concerns, humanitarian actions are critical in preventing further starvation and death.

What is the Food and Agriculture Organization?

• About:
  • FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
  • World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16th October. The day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
  • It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy). Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
• Initiatives Taken:
  • Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
  • Monitors the Desert Locust situation throughout the world.
  • The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
  • The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was adopted by the Thirty-First Session of the Conference of the FAO in 2001.
• Flagship Publications:
  • The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).
  • The State of the World's Forests (SOFO).
  • The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).
  • The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA).
  • The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO).

What is the World Food Programme?

• The WFP is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.
• It was founded in 1961 by the FAO and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
• It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organizations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030.
• WFP works in over 120 countries and territories to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters.

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Q. The FAO accords the status of ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)’ to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative? (2016)

1. To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to local communities of identified GIAHS so as to greatly enhance their agricultural productivity.
2. To identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems of the local communities.
3. To provide Geographical Indication status to all the varieties of agricultural produce in such identified GIAHS.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (b)

Source: DTE