On the Global Food Crisis - United States Department of State (2024)

FAQs

Is there a food shortage coming in 2024? ›

This surge in demand, coupled with unpredictable weather patterns and climate change, sets the stage for an expected shortage in 2024.

Nearly 13% of American households were food insecure in 2022. That means some 17 million families, or 1 in 8 U.S. households, struggled to meet their nutritional needs at some point in the year, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The global food crisis is affecting millions of people around the world. In 2023, record levels of acute food insecurity persist due to protracted food crises and new shocks. In 48 countries, 238 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity – 10% more than in 2022.

We're expecting even more trouble with not having enough food in 2024 because of things like climate change and problems in different areas. Many of the products Britons use could be affected by floods and droughts caused by the climate crisis.

Climate change is making the problem worse. An index of major crops has wiped out its 2024 loss as bad weather stokes worries about harvests from wheat to coffee, reviving concerns about rising food prices.

1972 marks the beginning of a 3-year widespread famine, also known as the world or global food crisis of 1972-1975, that had a death toll of about 2 million people. This famine started with a severe drought in the Sahel Region in Africa (map below).

Conflict, economic shocks, climate change and soaring prices for food and fertilizer are all combining in a perfect storm to create a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions. Right now, in some of the hungriest places around the world, there just isn't enough food to feed the population.

Persistent instability due to adverse climate events, conflict and economic slowdowns all contribute to food insecurity. Although the majority of people suffering from extreme hunger are living in developing countries, the main cause of hunger around the world is poverty.

Which country has the largest food crisis? ›

The Sahel sits just below the Sahara Desert and has become one of the world's worst hunger emergencies. Around 13 million people are projected to be experiencing crisis levels of hunger across five Sahelian countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

Across the globe in 2024, as many as 309 million people are facing acute levels of food insecurity in the 72 countries with WFP operations and where data is available.

Unequal access to food

With an estimated 10 billion people in the world by 2050, sixty percent more food will need to be produced (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization ). A business-as-usual approach to food production won't get us there. Today, there is enough food in the world.

The world population could be too big to feed itself by 2050. By then, there will be almost 10 billion people on the planet and food demand will have increased by 70 percent compared to 2017. Scientists put the limit on how many people Earth can feed at 10 billion - max!

But analysts said any rebuilding of the beef cow herd will not begin until 2025 at the earliest. The reasons for this are numerous but key factors are continuing drought and economic drivers such as high input costs, interest rates and financial recovery.