Slight improvement in global food security – report

There has been a slight improvement in global food security, according to the

2018 Global Food Security Index recently released by Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont, and the Economist Intelligence Unit.

According to the report, just over 70% of the 113 countries in the index had seen their scores increase, with the most substantial gains achieved by lower-middle and low-income countries.

Progress had been supported by improvements in infrastructure, increasing production capacity and relatively stable food prices. However, these developments were all under threat from a range of risks, both environmental and socio-economic in nature.

Singapore claimed the top spot for the first time, achieving 85,9 out of a possible 100 points on the index, with Burundi ranking the lowest at 23,9.

“Singapore’s strong foodsecurity score is largely attributable to its status as a high-income economy. GDP per capita has risen nearly 30% since 2012, and the percentage of household expenditure that is spent on food is the secondlowest on the index [after the US]. The country also has the lowest agricultural import tariffs of any country on the index, which helps to reduce food import costs,” the report said. The report also looked at the role of resilience in food security, which was deemed vital for enabling interconnected social, economic and biophysical systems to meet people’s nutritional requirements.

According to the report, understanding the risks to food security and how to address them was essential to building the resilience of food systems, thereby ensuring food security for future generations. These risks included climate change, as well as ongoing financial, social, political, trade and supply chain risks, which could pose unprecedented risk to global food supplies.

Climate change would affect food production for both marine and terrestrial systems, with rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns resulting in uncertainty about crop selection and production seasons.

While all countries were affected, the physical impact of climate change was worst for the Gulf States and across the Middle East and North Africa, followed by Central and South America.

Flooding and rising sea levels would cause the most harm to food security in countries with extensive coastal agriculture, such as India, Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Vietnam, the report said. – Siyanda Sishuba

FOTOLIA RIGHT: Understanding the risks to food security and how to address them is essential for building resilient global food systems, according to the 2018 Global Food Security Index.