Women farmers, responsible for up to 80% of food production in lower-income countries, face systemic exclusion. Investing in them could boost global GDP by $1 trillion and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people.
El Niño has brought frost and drought to Papua New Guinea's Highlands, destroying crops and threatening food security for up to 3 million people. Oxfam PNG reports severe food shortages and water issues, with the government urging preparedness.
Tetra Pak advocates for a focused climate strategy in food systems, emphasizing processing and packaging over farming. They highlight that modernizing dairy equipment can cut emissions by 40-49% and that carton packaging offers a lower climate impact for perishables. Policy should enable system-wide modernization and circularity.
India's rice stocks reached a record 68.43 million tonnes and wheat inventories climbed to their highest in five years at 53.41 million tonnes by June 1. This surge in reserves is expected to bolster food security and provide export flexibility, despite El Nino concerns.
El Nino's onset may weaken India's summer monsoon, risking vital kharif crops like rice and maize, warns FAO. This threatens farmers' livelihoods and food security, especially in vulnerable regions, amplified by a warmer planet and global disruptions.
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins testified that dependence on China for agricultural inputs poses an existential threat to national security and liberty, while defending a reduced $20.8 billion 2027 budget request amidst farmer pressures from tariffs, the Iran war, and supply disruptions.
A Swiss startup, VunaNexus, has developed a technology to transform human urine into a certified liquid fertilizer called Aurin. Initially seen as unconventional, the process gained traction due to soaring fertilizer prices and supply chain issues following the Russia-Ukraine war. The technology is being implemented in buildings across Europe and has roots in a pioneering project in South Africa.
Extreme heatwaves across Australia are decimating crops and threatening food security. Farmers like Anthony De leso are struggling with lost income and rising costs, while researchers like Owen Atkin warn of widespread crop damage and the need for urgent adaptation strategies, including genetic modification.
Record-breaking heatwaves in Australia are decimating crops and threatening food security. Farmers face rising input costs and lost income, while researchers warn of increasing extreme heat events throughout the year, necessitating urgent studies and adaptation strategies for growers.
The parasitic varroa mite, first detected in Queensland in March 2025, has caused an estimated 90% collapse in wild honey bee colonies and threatens managed hives. Beekeepers face significant financial and emotional strain, with potential impacts on food security due to reduced pollination services.
India's fertiliser supply chain is strained by the West Asia conflict disrupting shipping via the Strait of Hormuz. Combined with a below-normal monsoon forecast and El Niño conditions, this threatens crop output, food inflation, and India's economy, potentially widening the trade deficit and weakening the rupee.
Researcher Shi Yuanliang and his team have developed advanced slow-release fertilizer technology, significantly reducing farmers' labor and costs while boosting grain yields. This innovation has led to China's leadership in the global slow-release fertilizer market and the relocation of the International Fertilizer Science Center to China.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has launched a $10 billion facility to support member countries facing development impacts from the US-Israel war's effects on Iran. The aid will provide fast-disbursing budget support, finance critical imports, and offer liquidity.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has launched a $10 billion facility to support member countries dealing with the economic impacts of the US-Israel war on Iran, providing fast-disbursing budget support and financing for critical imports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded the FAO Agricola Medal by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization for his contributions to sustainable agriculture, food security, and rural development, highlighting India's commitment to strengthening its agricultural sector.
G7 finance ministers and central bank governors met in Paris and agreed to urgently address the risk of Middle East tensions impacting food supplies. They noted rising fertilizer prices due to the Strait of Hormuz situation could decrease global food production.
Russia's deputy envoy to FAO, Dilyara Ravilova-Borovik, stated that the US-Israel conflict with Iran, leading to the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, will have a delayed negative impact on global food security due to fertilizer shortages.
China is using advanced technology, including materials developed for lunar missions, to combat desertification in Xinjiang. New projects aim to protect arable land from erosion and safeguard food security.
Iran's armed forces are prepared to retaliate after President Trump rejected Tehran's ceasefire proposal, escalating regional tensions. The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route, has already caused significant energy supply shocks and threatens global food security, with the UN warning of a potential humanitarian crisis.
Malaysia is resorting to cloud seeding to bring much-needed rain to the country’s “rice bowl” north, where a drought has delayed planting of the staple crop and raised supply fears. “This year ... has been affected by prolonged dry weather, low rainfall and reduced dam water levels,” said Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu. The conditions mean farmers have missed two of the three usual planting phases for so-called “wet direct seeding” of rice, a technique that...
Even as “China shock 2.0” is roiling Western manufacturers, we must, it seems, brace for “China shock 3.0” – to the global food economy – as President Xi Jinping doubles down on the imperative that has obsessed Beijing for decades: food security. “China’s Food Future”, a consultation paper by Systemiq funded by the California-based Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, warns that China is poised to “reshape global agricultural commodity supply chains”. It suggests China is set to apply to...
Conflict in the Middle East is threatening the coming planting season, a UN official has warned, as countries already reeling from fertiliser shortages and surging costs face shocks to food security. The Strait of Hormuz, a major global chokepoint for fertilisers and other agricultural inputs as well as oil, has been under blockade since the start of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Despite rising concerns over the impact of the conflict on global food production, China – supported...
A Co-operative Party policy report calls for expanding agricultural co-operatives in the UK to improve food security and reduce import reliance. The report highlights 526 existing co-ops generating £9bn income, with only 62% of UK food grown domestically. It cites Middle East conflict-driven fertiliser costs as a reason to build farmer resilience through collective resource pooling.
"Russian exports contribute to strengthening of food security of Oman through supplies of wheat and barley," Maxim Reshetnikov noted
