Is the world heading towards a food insecure global order

Food insecurity in the developing world remains a widespread and pressing challenge, affecting millions of people in regions already grappling with poverty, poor infrastructure, and limited access to resources. In many Third World countries, lack of reliable access to sufficient and nutritious food stems from a complex mix of factors such as ongoing conflicts, economic instability, climate change, and inefficient agricultural practices. Recent US executive orders leading to cuts in international aid through UN bodies can exacerbate the already worsened crisis in the global south. Rural communities, often reliant on subsistence farming, struggle to produce enough food due to unpredictable weather patterns, droughts, and floods, further exacerbated by limited access to technology and modern farming techniques. Political instability and corruption can also hinder food distribution, while inequality in access to resources leaves marginalized groups, especially women and children, more vulnerable.

The World Food Programme's (WFP) 2025 Global Outlook emphasizes a significant rise in acute hunger, affecting 343 million people across 74 countries—a 10% increase from the previous year.

In regions where political instability prevails, food systems are often disrupted by violence, corruption, and a lack of effective governance. For example, in Venezuela, years of political and economic instability have led to a dramatic decline in food security. The country has faced hyperinflation, political unrest, and a breakdown in public services, which has led to widespread food shortages. As a result, millions of Venezuelans are unable to access basic food staples, and many have fled the country in search of sustenance. The lack of stable governance in Venezuela has not only hindered food production and distribution but also left the population vulnerable to the impacts of food insecurity, with a significant portion of the population relying on humanitarian aid to meet their daily nutritional needs.

South Sudan, where civil war has devastated the country’s food security. Since the outbreak of conflict in 2013, millions of people have been displaced, and agricultural activities have been severely disrupted. As fighting continues between government forces and opposition groups, food production has plummeted, and many rural communities are unable to cultivate crops or access food supplies. The war has resulted in economic collapse, with widespread unemployment and hyperinflation, leaving the population unable to afford basic food staples.

Zimbabwe, where a severe economic crisis in the late 2000s led to one of the most extreme food insecurity situations in the world. Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe peaked in the late 2000s, with the inflation rate reaching an astronomical 89.7 sextillion percent in 2008. As the currency collapsed, food prices surged uncontrollably, leaving millions of Zimbabweans unable to afford basic staples like bread, maize, and cooking oil. At the same time, unemployment rates were extremely high, and the agricultural sector, once a pillar of the economy, suffered due to land reforms, droughts, and a lack of investment.

The joint FAO-WFP report identifies 22 "hunger hotspots" where acute food insecurity is projected to worsen between November 2024 and May 2025.

Recent funding reductions have had severe consequences. In South Sudan, funding cuts led to the closure of health centers, resulting in preventable deaths from diseases like cholera. Similarly, the termination of U.S. funding to the World Food Program has led to reduced food aid in countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Somalia, exacerbating hunger and malnutrition, according to Global Hunger Index report 2024.

In Ethiopia, the government has launched the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), which combines cash transfers with agricultural support for vulnerable communities. But the already crippled economies coupled with climate change, debt, civil wars and the tumultuous changing global policies will severely affect the global south, particularly , the food crisis.