Background document to the 107^th WTO regular meeting of
the Committee on Agriculture (27-29 November 2023)

Submission by the World Food Programme (WFP)

The following submission, dated 28 November 2023, is being circulated at the request of the World Food Programme (WFP).

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1  Recent developments in global food insecurity

1.1  Key Messages:

·_              Food insecurity remains at highly concerning levels.

·_              Net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs) are home to 70% of acutely food insecure people.

·_              The current economic context poses risks to food security. These include debt distress, stubbornly high domestic food inflation in many places and a tight global rice market.

·_              NFIDCs' food imports are expected to contract in 2023 amidst weakening currencies and high debt servicing cost. A decline in local supplies puts upward pressure on domestic prices.

·_              Conflict and climate crises remain key drivers of food insecurity. Renewed escalation of conflicts, most recently in Palestine, and the active El Niño event worsen the global food security outlook.

·_              Funding cuts could lead to further increases in the severity of food security.

1.2  Background:

Food security

·_              In 2023, 333 million people are acutely food insecure across 78 countries with WFP operational presence and where data is available. This is an increase of 184 million people compared to early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

·_              An estimated 47.3 million people across 54 countries are in emergency or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC/CH Phase 4+[1], including severely food insecure based on CARI[2]) in 2023. Without urgent life-saving action, these populations will be at risk of falling into catastrophe or famine conditions.

·_              All countries with people in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5) in 2023 belong to the group of NFIDCs. These are Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia and South Sudan.[3]

·_              NFIDCs are home to 70% of acutely food insecure people (234 million).[4]

·_              WFP and FAO warn that between November 2023 and April 2024 acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate in 18 hunger hotspots. Hotspots of highest concern are Burkina Faso, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan and the Sudan.[5]

·_              Acute food insecurity could be further exacerbated by the funding gaps, which are forcing WFP to cut rations across many operations. WFP estimates that, on average, every percentage point cut in its food assistance could push more than 400,000 additional people into emergency hunger.[6]