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The world faces an exponential increase in hunger fuelled by the climate crisis if urgent global action to help communities adapt to climatic shocks and stresses is ignored, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

“The climate crisis has the potential to overwhelm humanity. The world is not prepared for the unprecedented rise in hunger we will see if we do not invest in programs that help vulnerable communities adapt and build resilience to our changing climate,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “The climate crisis is fuelling a food crisis.” 

 Vulnerable communities, a vast majority of whom rely on agriculture, fishing, and livestock, who contribute the least to the climate crisis bear the brunt of the impacts with limited means to cushion the blow.  

In Ghana last year, the national environmental protection agency projected rainfall variability in the forest zones, high temperatures in the Savannah zones, droughts, and higher likelihood of floods, with about 10 percent of the country being at risk. Some farmers in these areas are already finding it difficult to access adequate nutritious and healthy diets which are fundamental to household and individual resilience. This reinforces the need to integrate food security with climate change actions.  

Building on this year’s theme for World Food Day, “Our actions are our future - Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life,” WFP is calling on world leaders to recognise the close link between hunger and the climate crisis and is urging them to redouble their efforts to address the changing climate as focus shifts to the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26).   

 “This year, WFP has partnered with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to train over 20,000 smallholder farmers on climate smart agriculture practices, with the aim of promoting sustainable food production,” said Anna Mukiibi-Bunnya, WFP Representative ad interim, at the flag raising ceremony to commemorate World Food Day in Ghana, organized by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, WFP and other partners. “We are committed to support the Government to stay on track to end hunger in Ghana.” 

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.