London, 15 June - Net Zero Watch has criticised the UN and news media for claiming that 'climate change is pushing millions of people into hunger,' a claim widely reported in the media.
A new UN report, “The
State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023”, claims
that 122 million more people are facing hunger than in 2019, and that global
food insecurity has worsened in recent years due to the pandemic and repeated
weather shocks and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.
Whilst Covid-19 and the war
in Ukraine have both disrupted food supplies and pushed up energy and food
inflation, it is not true that food production is declining because of extreme
weather events.
Even Pakistan, which was affected by severe flooding last year, has just
reported a record harvest.
The UN's climate claims are also contradicted by its own data,
which shows worldwide food production continuing to climb. New records were set
in 2021 for cereal output and the value of agricultural production. Last year
recorded the second highest cereal production on record, and this year is now
forecast to set yet another new record for wheat.
Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, 7 July 2023
According to the new report's methodology, the UN's claims are not based on actual data at all. Their index for hunger is derived from computer modelling, while their measure for food insecurity is calculated from household surveys.
Climate researcher, Paul Homewood, comments:
“The Director of the UN's Food & Agriculture Organisation has remarked that the world's food systems could entirely collapse. This is grossly irresponsible and a complete denial of the remarkable success of the world's agricultural industry.
If the UN is concerned about world hunger, maybe they should call a halt to all of the agricultural Net Zero and rewilding projects being undertaken in Europe and elsewhere, all in the name of climate change”
The full UN report is here:
https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc3017en
More details and analysis here:
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2023/07/13/war-covid-and-climate-change-push-122-million-more-people-into-hunger-un/
Having more food in the world is a good think. Now we just have to get it to the people who are at risk of not enough food.
ReplyDeleteHumanitarian action is critical in the next six months to prevent starvation and save lives in countries where hunger is at a high risk of worsening.
According to the latest Hunger Hotspots report from the United Nations, hunger is on track to increase in magnitude and severity in 22 countries across the globe. Without an immediate increase in assistance, millions of families will not have the food they need to survive.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is present in these 22 countries and is doing whatever it takes to deliver food to people experiencing the greatest levels of hunger. Needs are rising rapidly but our operations are severely underfunded.