Business & Economy

Uncertainty, inflation hit farmers around the world

Madrid, Oct 16 (EFE).- Uncertainty in food markets is affecting farmers in rich and poor countries around the world, leading to increased difficulties in food production amid soaring costs and leaving hundreds of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people without enough to eat.

On World Food Day, marked on Oct 16 under the slogan “Leave no one behind,” international agencies are urgently calling attention to the ongoing “unprecedented” food crisis that could soon push record numbers of people into severe food insecurity.

The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change was already driving the crisis, and the war in Ukraine has interrupted international supplies, exacerbating the situation, World Food Program spokeswoman Annabel Symington told EFE.

Since last year, with the increase in global demand following the pandemic, there has been an increase in energy prices, aggravated by the war in Ukraine.

The WFP, which provided food to more than 100 million people in the first half of the year, warned that the number of hungry people has grown by 22% so far this year to 345 million.

In 2021, 828 million people suffered from malnutrition and 2.3 billion could not afford a healthy diet.

In hotspots such as the Horn of Africa, the situation has only worsened due to drought and conflict.

The World Bank estimates that prices will remain high until the end of 2024, while fertilizer markets remain volatile, especially in Europe, where the lack of natural gas and rising prices have caused factories producing those commodities to shut down. EFE

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