On the occasion of World Food Day and against the backdrop of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the 2021 Global Hunger Index (GHI) is released today. This year’s report focuses on hunger and food systems in conflict settings. Dan Smith, SIPRI Director, and Dr Caroline Delgado, Senior Researcher and Director of SIPRI's Food, Peace and Security Programme, authored the main essay of the report.
The 2021 GHI points to a grim hunger situation fuelled by a toxic cocktail of the climate crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and increasingly severe and protracted violent conflicts. Progress toward zero hunger by 2030, already far too slow, is showing signs of stagnating or even being reversed.
Read the full report here.
The featured essay examines the intersection between hunger and conflict, and indicates the steps needed to break the links between the two to contribute to a more peaceful and food-secure planet. SIPRI experts argue for the integration of a peacebuilding lens into the creation of resilient food systems and a food and nutrition security lens into peacebuilding. They assert that progress on peace and food security is possible even in the most unfavourable circumstances, and that small-scale interventions by humanitarian, development and peace actors can go a long way in contributing to peacebuilding.
More information about SIPRI’s work on the interconnections between food security, conflict and peace is available here.
Dan Smith and Dr Caroline Delgado identify four priorities for making effective progress: (a) a flexible and agile approach, based on a thorough understanding of local contexts; (b) a commitment to working in partnerships that bring together local actors, national governments and international organizations; (c) integrative ways of working along the humanitarian–development–peace nexus that include relevant stakeholders; and (d) flexible, need-based, cross-sectoral and multi-year financing.
Smith will deliver a keynote address during the launch event organized by Welthungerhilfe, Concern Worldwide and KfW on 14 October. Read more about the launch event here. Dr Delgado will present the essay and SIPRI’s research during a connecting launch event in Brussels on 27 October.
Global Hunger Index
The GHI is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional and country levels. The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world. Read more here.