Let’s wake up the G7: 811 million people are suffering from hunger 

Over recent years, the number of people suffering from hunger has risen consistently, due to conflicts, the climate crisis, economic shocks and inequalities. We are seeing more and more food crises across the world.  These crises indicate that our humanitarian, diplomatic and food systems can no longer do enough: action is needed to fix the deep causes of hunger. The war in Ukraine, for example, is an additional shock that has exacerbated an existing problem. Today, the situation is critical: of the 2.37 billion people in a state of moderate or severe food insecurity, 811 million are suffering from hunger. Action is urgently needed.  

 From 26 to 28 June, the leaders of the world’s richest countries will gather in Germany for the G7 Summit. Action against Hunger calls upon Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Boris Johnson, Mario Draghi, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau and Fumio Kishida to step up and fulfil their duties in the fight against global food insecurity.  

How many crises are needed for the political decision-makers to take action on the structural causes of hunger? This alarming deterioration must stop now. #WakeuptheG7 

What are the causes of this increase in hunger?   

The causes of increased hunger in the world are many and interlinked. First of all, world hunger cannot be put down to production or quantity problems. We currently produce much more food than needed to feed the global population, and yet one in three people is in a state of food insecurity.   

Hunger is a structural problem first and foremost. The current globalised food and industrial agriculture system does not ensure fair remuneration for farmers and does not provide sufficient food for all regions of the world (in quantity and quality), and at the same time, it is not resilient enough against shocks due to extreme interdependence. In Europe, 10% of the population is in a situation of food insecurity, compared to 41% in Latin America, 60% in Africa and 26% in Asia. And food security particularly affects countries whose food is dependent on international markets (source: ‘Agriculture, alimentation et guerre en Ukraine : un décryptage en 11 questions’).   

The current globalised food and industrial agriculture system does not ensure fair remuneration for farmers and does not provide sufficient food for all regions of the world (in quantity and quality), and at the same time, it is not resilient enough against shocks. Conflicts and the current major political, economic, climate, environmental and health crises can easily weaken it and constitute the deep-rooted causes of global food insecurity.    

For example, our current agricultural system cannot provide a response to climate crisis issues. The climate crisis is impacting our capacity to produce food in sufficient quantity and with enough quality, and at the same time, our agricultural system is making environmental damage worse. Indeed, agriculture and food are responsible for a third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.  

How does the war in ukraine impact global food security?     

Use of hunger as a political weapon in ukraine and beyond     

Violations of international humanitarian law are flagrant in Ukraine, as well as in numerous other countries where conflict is taking place, and they have a direct impact on hunger. Civil infrastructures in Ukraine have been hit hard by the conflict, which means the country’s agricultural activity and export capacity is in danger. These attacks contravene international humanitarian law, which requires warring parties to preserve the infrastructures needed for populations to survive, including those used for food production and distribution.   

Today, the civilian populations trapped in Ukraine by the conflict are suffering from hunger.   

The warring parties must respect international humanitarian law immediately to protect civilian populations. Meanwhile, the international community must respond to the hunger caused by the current conflict. In the countries most vulnerable to food insecurity, humanitarian aid responses must be pre-emptive. Aid must be increased for existing food crises and action must be taken quickly to deal with deteriorating situations on a local level if a new hunger spiral is to be averted.  

The food crisis accentuated by the war in ukraine illustrates just how fragile global food systems are and how little the human right to social protection is respected   

Due to our globalised food system, the conflict in Ukraine is threatening global grain supplies and worldwide food security (Russia and Ukraine provide 23% of world exports of wheat and 16% of corn).   

The crisis puts the price of basic supplies up (wheat, corn, cooking oils), and this is combined with soaring oil and gas prices, which, in turn, cause inflation on the prices of the agricultural inputs made from them. For example, as Tunisia imports half of its wheat from Ukraine and depends heavily on overseas countries for its oil and gas supply, the price of bread has doubled since the start of the conflict, and energy costs rose by 5% just in April.  

In the absence of universal social protection systems in countries affected by the crisis, this hike in food prices may plunge millions into poverty, in a context where extreme poverty has already increased for the first time in 25 years due to the Covid-19 crisis. Without adequate means of support, between 8 and 13 million more people could become malnourished, according to the United Nations. Out of the poorest people, pregnant women and their children aged under 2 are particularly exposed to the consequences of poverty and hunger during the child’s critical first 1,000 days of life.   

Multiple solutions for multiple causes     

  Action against Hunger urges the G7 countries to take ambitious emergency measures to fight against hunger, before the global food crisis gets even worse.   

Action against Hunger calls upon governments to:   

1. Stop the use of hunger as a political weapon and prevent crises by facilitating humanitarian aid and access in all conflict zones

On a global scale, the humanitarian system is subject to increasing pressure due to political failures. G7 leaders must intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent humanitarian crises linked to conflict in the most effective way.  

They must invest in conflict prevention and peace consolidation and strengthen early alert systems that pre-empt humanitarian risks connected to emerging conflicts. Immediate, pre-emptive responses must be implemented to support the most vulnerable countries in order to avoid food crises, and communities must be helped so that they can improve their resilience, absorb shocks and minimise the impact of crises.  

In Ukraine, Action against Hunger calls upon combatants to cease indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructures essential for them to survive. G7 leaders must initiate diplomatic efforts to put an end to hostilities in Ukraine and respond to their disastrous humanitarian consequences, at the very moment when humanitarian access is being hindered by conflict and violence.   

2. Develop and support universal, feminist social protection policies  

The G7 countries must commit to supporting and funding the implementation of social protection policies in the countries affected by increasing food prices, especially a basic income for a child’s first 1,000 days of life (a key period in the prevention of malnutrition).  

3. Support the development of food sovereignty and the transformation of food systems to make them more sustainable, more resilient, more local, healthier and fairer. 

The G7 states must encourage and maintain countries’ food sovereignty and recognise the major role played by agroecological farming in achieving this. The current food crisis must be met with a systematic response from all states and include the people affected first by the crisis, civil society representatives, indigenous peoples and farmers.   

How can you help us wake up the G7?

Call out Macron and the G7 leaders on Twitter!

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Join our team in Germany and demonstrate in Munich:

June 25 at 12 noon, Theresienwiese.
Meeting point with Action Against Hunger Germany: Playground at Bavariaring 10, 80336 Munich