Since the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic some few years ago have dented orientation on the global food systems and by extension inhibiting food security attainment to nearly 8 billion people globally. Under the framework of United Nation’s seventeen sustainable development goals or priorities which put a premium focus on ending hunger as its second priorities on the list by the year 2030.Statistics has equally shown a striking narrative from about seven hundred and twenty million to about eight hundred million people in the globe faced hunger in the year 2020 which stem about one in every tenth and the corresponding estimation of the United Nations from seventy million to over one hundred and sixty one million people faced hunger in 2020 than in 2019. This scaring jump could be associated with the extreme impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global food systems. Ukraine/ Russia conflict on the other hand and its associated impact on the global food security are extremely evident. The International fund for agricultural development (IFAD) recognised the contribution of both Ukraine and Russia in the global food system accounting to about twelve percent(12%) of food calories traded all over the world while on the hindsight Ukraine alone dispense about forty percent (40%) of its wheat and corn to Africa and part of middle east which are already experiencing hunger which could transcend to major food shortages or alternate price increases which could stoke a social uncertainty or unrest. The aggressive proliferation of Russia/ Ukraine conflict which is already charaterised as a tragedy for both parties is expected to ignite a food security emergency to the entire globe and more impacting negatively to the struggling economies and families in the global south including the Gambia.
Drivers to global food insecurity:
The current narrative on the global food insecurity can be attributed to and not limited to the degraded economic performance of countries due to COVID-19, climate extremes and variability as well as social unrests.
Path/alternative solutions to global food security:
The following intervention should be considerate in future development programming in our quest to food security attainment.
A. Putting inclusivity at core center of development targeting pro-poor initiatives and relegating structural inequalities and poverty reduction.
B. Optimal scaling up climate resilience along/across food systems.
C. Promoting and exhibiting humanitarian / peace building and development policies in conflict zones.
D. Diversification of agricultural system and actual utilization of climate smart agriculture.
Buba SAIDY is a passionate monitoring & evaluation practitioner, Masters of Science candidate in Public Administration -University of The Gambia
