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New York, April 11 – Current efforts fighting the food crisis to relieve hunger worldwide are marred by funding gaps and lack of coordination, the Rockefeller Foundation said in a new report that called for new approaches to make humanitarian operations work.

“If the world does not act now, there will be as many hungry people in 2030 as there were in 2015, a devastating backslide – and one that could accelerate amid the worsening climate crisis,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “The goal of ending hunger once and for all is still achievable, but it requires stakeholders coming together in public-private-philanthropic partnerships behind big bets to scale innovative solutions, including those identified in this report.”

Read the report: Anticipate and localize: Leveraging humanitarian funding to create more sustainable food systems 

The United Nations has set the goals of ending poverty and hunger by 2030. The World Food Program (WFP) estimated that more than 345 million people worldwide are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, an increase of almost 200 million since the early 2020. It said 43 million of those people are just steps away from famine.

“Ration cuts are coming if we don’t have the money to get food to those who need it most,” said Cindy McCain, the new executive director of WFP on April 5. “My priorities are clear: increase our resources, improve our effectiveness and scale up partnerships and innovation to bring modern solutions to those most in need.”

“No organization can solve world hunger alone,” she said. “Today we are asking new friends – especially from the private sector – to step up and join us.” McCain said she will work in particular with the private sector to raise funds and identify new ideas to help the most vulnerable people.

The Rockefeller Foundation said its new report provides “constructive steps forward in leveraging resources to end hunger and build sustainable food security” and it called on donors to “align more closely with solutions that strengthen food system resilience to climate change, conflict, and other shocks.” The report was the second of four reports that presents a unified roadmap for achieving global food and nutrition security, the foundation said.

In the face of the global food crisis, the international community has responded with unprecedented pledges of humanitarian aid, but funding gaps still remain, the report said. “More broadly, there are concerns that humanitarian food assistance, as currently structured and delivered, is not the way to achieve resilient and sustainable food security,” the foundation said in a press release to present the report. Following are excerpts from the press release:

Report’s Recommendations Break with Funding Orthodoxy – The four key recommendations in the report are as follows: 

1.Fund anticipatory action and make smarter investments. The report urges donors to spend 1% of their 2024 budgets on such action, increasing that share by 1% for the next 10 years. Furthermore, investments must be smarter than in the past, helping farmers to rapidly adapt to climate change, including through a focus on regenerative agriculture.

2. Fund localization by increasing the share of funding that goes to local organizations to 25% of their total expenditure over the next five years. This would support the role of local communities as effective first responders. National governments are urged to invest a similar share of their spending on domestic food security in local approaches.

3. Crack funding siloes by establishing United Nations country teams that unify funding and strategies that address humanitarian need, social and economic development, and peace, including in food insecurity hotspots affected by armed conflict.

4. Make the investment case through a campaign to put under-utilized working solutions to the test in a real-time situation of food insecurity.

“We have the largest humanitarian appeals, the largest numbers of people who are food insecure and the largest funding gaps in history,” said Carol Bellamy, writer of the report and former Executive Director of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “The numbers force new thinking about how we can both improve the effectiveness of existing aid and also reduce the need for aid through building more sustainable food systems.”

The humanitarian assistance system is comprised of several actors, including the multi-agency United Nations; governments; multilateral development banks; nongovernmental organizations; and private donors.

 Yet, despite the enormous resources deployed, coordination is weak. Major shortcomings have included a failure to anticipate crisis and invest proactively; a failure to tailor aid to local needs through local partners; and a failure to join the funding “dots.”

“The sliver of funding that went to sustainable solutions demonstrates the most dangerous gap of all: the gap between short-term thinking and long-term solutions,” said Catherine Bertini, Managing Director, Global Nutrition Security at The Rockefeller Foundation, former Executive Director of the World Food Programme, and 2003 World Food Prize Laureate. “Until we address the underlying issues of the resilience and sustainability of food systems, the need for humanitarian food aid will continue to escalate.”

In addition to the solutions highlighted above, the report calls for weaving three common threads into every policy, program and approach: a gender lens, the meaningful inclusion of those most directly affected by food insecurity, and intensive collaboration.

The report draws on insights of The Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored Convening Group on Funding for Sustainable Food Security.* The Rockefeller Foundation convened nearly two dozen experts in food insecurity and food aid from around the world. Over the course of two months, November through December 2022, they examined how to best mobilize and leverage funding to ensure food security for all.

“Millions of people are in desperate need of food assistance today – and as we deliver this aid, it is critical to invest in systemic change that will build sustainable food security in the longer term,” continued Ms. Bertini. “To solve these interconnected global challenges, governments and organizations must be willing to abandon cherished notions of what works for them in favor of what can work to bring food security to all.”

Anticipate and localize: Leveraging humanitarian funding to create more sustainable food systems is the second of four reports in a series on achieving global food and nutrition security supported by The Rockefeller Foundation. The first report, Defining the Path to Zero Hunger in an Equitable World, was recently published by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and offers a framework to reimagine a hunger-free world.

 Media Contact:

 Davina Dukuly

 Media Relations Manager

 The Rockefeller Foundation

 media@rockfound.org}

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The President of the U.N. General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, strongly condemned the decision and said that the ban will undermine the U.N. work in the country.

“This step is a blatant violation of the human rights of women and undermines the work of the United Nations in Afghanistan, the people of which are in dire need of humanitarian assistance,” he said. “The consequences of this decision would harm the Afghan people, in particular the most vulnerable segments of the population. Afghanistan needs sustained development, and for that, it should mobilize the country’s full potential.”

Roza Otunbayeva, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said: “In the history of the United Nations, no other regime has ever tried to ban women from working for the Organization just because they are women. This decision represents an assault against women, the fundamental principles of the U.N., and on international law.”

“This is yet another cruel and devastating blow against the women of Afghanistan, and one which carries grave consequences for all Afghans. The country is at further risk of even greater economic misery and isolation from the community of nations,” the envoy said.

The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said in a statement that Otunbayeva is engaging with the highest levels of the de facto Taliban authorities to protest and seek an immediate reversal of the order. It said the Taliban has issued over the past 20 months measures that increasingly restricted women and girls from participating in social, economic and political life.

The mission said it was informed by the Taliban, which took over the country in 2021, that the ban was to take effect immediately and will be actively enforced.

The U.N. said its mission in Afghanistan has about 3300 Afghan nationals and 600 internationals, including about 400 Afghan women and 200 women internationals.

The U.N said the ban is unlawful under international law and unacceptable. It also constitutes an “unparalleled violation of women’s rights, a flagrant breach of humanitarian principles, and a breach of international rules on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, including those extended to all U.N. personnel.”

It said the ban will further impact the international community’s engagement with Afghanistan, and the U.N.’s ability to support the population as they experience an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The U.N. said both Afghan women and men are essential to all aspects of U.N. work and the ban will impose “further psychological and emotional harm on Afghan women who have already endured so much.”

It said two-thirds of the Afghan population – some 28.3 million people – require life-saving assistance to survive, including 20 million people who are food insecure, six million of whom are one step away from famine. The order will also further negatively affect humanitarian partners’ ability to reach those most vulnerable, especially women and girls. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has launched a report analyzing over-compliance and misconceptions about the scope of international sanctions that have led to severe obstacles for the Afghan business community. Read the report here. Following is a press release:

The Taliban’s new extension of last year’s ban on female aid workers to the UN threatens to throw delivery of urgent life-saving humanitarian action into disarray, making the role of the private sector even more critical for the recovery of the Afghan economy.

Report: Afghanistan should be open for business, but misconceptions about sanctions are increasing suffering for millions

Over-compliance and misconceptions about the scope of international sanctions have led to severe obstacles for the Afghan business community, including for businesses that import and export food and other essential goods, finds a new report commissioned by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

The report, based on in-depth interviews with Afghan businesspeople and other private sector stakeholders, calls on the international community to improve awareness about sanctions and reduce over-compliance. It argues that concrete steps must be taken to address the crippled Afghan economy and ongoing unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

“Humanitarian aid alone cannot meet the needs of the millions of Afghans who have lost their jobs and been forced to take on huge debts and sell their possessions just to be able to buy food needed for survival,” said Neil Turner, NRC’s country director in Afghanistan. “We must reverse this devastating economic disaster. A stable economy, thriving private sector, and the reintroduction of development programmes are important to complement the work of humanitarian organisations.”

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, international actors have pursued political and economic isolation policies towards Afghanistan, in reaction to the Taliban’s increasingly restrictive governance, that have contributed to the current economic crisis and the population’s reliance on humanitarian assistance. More than 28 million people are now on the brink of survival.

There are comprehensive exemptions to the sanctions that should enable the transfer of money in and out of Afghanistan for activities designed to address the basic needs of the population, but banks continue to restrict businesses’ access to financial services despite the exemptions in place. Afghan businesses highlighted that payment instructions for any international bank transaction that mention Afghanistan get blocked, even for transactions for food shipments via the United Nations.

“We need to educate overseas companies and banks that Afghanistan itself is not under sanctions. There is a real lack of understanding about this – particularly among key sectors in our main export and import markets,” said an executive of a large agricultural firm in Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s stance towards women has also led to the loss of many women from the Afghan workforce. These restrictions pose substantial challenges to the Afghan people and the economic prospects of the country as well as serious practical and ethical dilemmas for international donors and aid agencies.

To address the complex political, economic, and social changes since the return to power of the Taliban, NRC calls on major governments, financial institutions, UN agencies and relevant regional actors to urgently convene to establish measures to stabilise and support Afghanistan’s economy for the benefit of all the Afghan people.

“Concrete steps must be agreed to address the barriers faced by critical private sector actors in Afghanistan, including challenges in accessing financial services. On top of this, it’s vital that mechanisms are stepped-up to provide technical assistance to the Afghanistan Central Bank to support its resumption of core functions that are critical to support the Afghan economy, private sector actors, and ultimately the Afghan people who have already endured so much,” added Turner.

For more information, please contact: NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62329. Christian Jepsen, Regional Communications Adviser for Asia and Latin America: christian.jepsen@nrc.no, +254 706 248 391

 Facts and Figures: 

• 28.3 million people, two thirds of Afghanistan’s population will need urgent humanitarian assistance in 2023 to survive. This makes Afghanistan one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises (OCHA).
• The main driver of humanitarian need is the extremely high levels of food insecurity, with nearly 20 million people in Afghanistan acutely food-insecure (IPC 3+), including more than 6 million people on the brink of famine-like conditions in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). Four million people are acutely malnourished, including 3.2 million children under the age of five (WFP).
• According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Afghanistan’s real GDP contracted by 20 percent between 2021 to 2022, equating to a loss of $5 billion, which had taken almost ten years to generate.As a consequence, per capita income declined by 14–28 percent and an estimated 700,000 jobs were lost during the same period.
• Banking sector de-risking and overcompliance to sanctions continues to create challenges for private businesses and international banks. In the linked report, one European Bank reportedly needed 40-50 staff members to facilitate one financial transaction to Afghanistan.
• Despite the broad exemptions to sanctions, humanitarian actors continue to face challenges accessing domestic and international banking services for Afghanistan (NRC), and remain mostly reliant on UN cash shipments (UNAMA).
• A recent report by ACAPs demonstrates the Afghani has maintained its stability through foreign currency inflows that are part of humanitarian aid. These inflows have been vital to help stabilise the price volatility of essential food and non-food items, but if jeopardised it will have a serious impact on the stability of the economy and banking sector.

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New York, March 24 – Dubbed as a once-in-a-generation international conference, the U.N. 2023 Water Conference closed with the adoption of a Water Action Plan, which contains almost 700 commitments to protect “humanity’s most precious global common good.”

The U.N. said the agenda is a guide for action-oriented game changing commitments, from making smarter food choices to re-evaluating water as a powerful economic driver, and part of the Earth’s cultural heritage. The agenda also calls for action to protect the spread of disease to fighting poverty, the natural resource also flows through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when the world is grappling with climate change, water scarcity and pollution.

Read the Water Action Decade

“Your dedication to action and transformation is propelling us towards a sustainable, equitable and inclusive water-secure future for people and planet alike,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said of the estimated 2,000 participants to the highly anticipated conference. The last one was held 46 years ago.

“This conference demonstrated a central truth: as humanity’s most precious global common good, water unites us all, and it flows across a number of global challenges.” He said. “That’s why water needs to be at the center of the global political agenda,” he said. “All of humanity’s hopes for the future depend, in some way, on charting a new science-based course to bring the Water Action Agenda to life.”

U.N. General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi said the $300 billion in pledges made to buoy the transformative Water Action Agenda has the potential of unlocking at least $1 trillion of socioeconomic and eco-system gains, U.N. News reported.

“The outcome of this conference is not a legally binding document, but it still turns the page of history,” Korosi said in closing remarks. “You have reconfirmed the promise to implement the human right to water and sanitation for all.”

“We will keep our ears and minds open to scientific evidence as we move forward to realize the transformation discussed,” he said. “Today, we hold the pieces of a water-secure and more peaceful world in our hands. Together, we can launch the transformation for a water-secure world, and these gamechangers can take us there.”

How can you help? (From U.N. News)

Here’s a sampling from the UN’s #WaterAction guide:

💧 Turn off those appliances, computers and other tech, when you’re not using them. Currently, 90 per cent of power generation is water intensive. Turning off devices when they are not in use means less energy needs to be produced. 

💧 Build up a head of steam over the issue. Write to elected representatives about budgets for improving water conservation at home and abroad.

💧 Create an action list. Choose and share what you are going to do to help solve the water and sanitation crisis, right here.

💧 Get informed. Explore the water and sanitation crisis, read inspirational stories from around the world, read a book from the suggested SDG Book Club list, and follow your local news on water supply issues and check out SDG 6 online or on social media at @GlobalGoalUN.

💧 Use your social media voice. Amplify messages promoting SDG 6, participate in #WorldWaterDay to generate debate and raise awareness, available here. www.worldwaterday.org/share

💧 Shop sustainably. The 10,000 litres of water used to produce a pair of jeans is the same amount the average person drinks in a decade.

World leaders tackle global water shortage; billions of people without safe water

New York, March 22 – Leaders of government and organizations showed up in force at a U.N.-led conference to find urgent solutions to the global water shortage crisis, which has deprived safe water to billions of people and caused an estimated over 800,000 people to die each year from diseases directly tied to unsafe water and poor hygiene practices.

The U.N. World Water Development Report 2023, which sets the goals to be achieved at the conference March 22 to 24 at the U.N. headquarters in New York, said global water use has increased by about 1 per cent annually in the past five decades. It said water use is expected to “grow at a similar rate through to 2050, driven by a combination of population growth, socio-economic development and changing consumption patterns.”

Richard Connor, leader of the report, said the estimated cost of meeting the goals of bringing safe water to the world population by 2030 is between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year. He said meeting the goals would require forging partnerships with investors, financiers, governments and climate change communities.

The report said 2 billion out of the world population of 8 billion people do not have safe drinking water and 3.6 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation. The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to potentially double from 930 million in 2016 to between 1.7 and 2.4 billion people in 2050.

The report said extreme and prolonged droughts are stressing the ecosystems leading to dire consequences for both plant and animal species.

The U.N. Development Program (UNDP), which leads U.N. development activities worldwide, said the global water crisis constitutes a real risk to progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One of the goals, SDG 6, calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. UNDP said climate change, pollution and mismanagement of resources have sharply decreased water access and security every day.

UNDP said currently half of the world population, four billion people, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year. About half a billion face water scarcity year-round. Approximately 4.2 billion lack sanitation, 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water, and 700 million people could be displaced due to scarcity of water by 2030, 250 million in Africa alone. 

Read the UN 2023 Water Conference program.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio  Guteres said in an opening address to the conference that water is a human right and it is “a common development denominator to shape a better future. But water is in deep trouble. We are draining humanity’s lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating. We’ve broken the water cycle, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated groundwater. “

“This conference must represent a quantum leap in the capacity of member states and the international community to recognize and act upon the vital importance of water to our world’s sustainability and as a tool to foster peace and international co-operation,” he said. 

Guterres called for closing the water gap, massive investment in water and sanitation systems, focusing on resilience and addressing climate change.

While calling on governments and civil society worldwide to attend the conference, the U.N. said the water crisis is threatening sustainable development, biodiversity and people’s access to water and sanitation. The last such conference was held 46 years ago.

Studies carried out in past decades by universities and responsible organizations showed that over half of the world population are concerned about fresh water shortages and the link between climate change and drought. The water crisis is derailing efforts and progress in providing universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.

“Water supports all aspects of life on earth, and access to safe and clean water is a basic human right,” the U.N. said. “However, decades of mismanagement and misuse have intensified water stress, threatening the many aspects of life that depend on this crucial resource.”

The most recent State of the Climate Services on Water report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said floods have increased by 134 per cent and the duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000.

Conference participants are called to agree on a Water Action Agenda that will specify urgent actions to deal with the crisis and achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is universal access by people to safe water and sustainable management of water and sanitation by all by 2030. The Conference will feature five “interactive dialogues” to strengthen and accelerate action for key water areas, as reported by U.N. News.

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New York, March 21 – A United Nations-led conference will tackle the global water crisis as billions of people still lack access to safe water and an estimated over 800,000 people died each year from diseases directly tied to unsafe water and poor hygiene practices.

While calling on governments and civil society worldwide to attend the 2023 U.N. Water Conference, March 22-24 at UN headquarters in New York, the U.N. said the water crisis is threatening sustainable development, biodiversity and people’s access to water and sanitation. The last such conference was held 46 years ago.

Studies carried out in past decades by universities and responsible organizations showed that over half of the world population are concerned about fresh water shortages and the link between climate change and drought. The water crisis is derailing efforts and progress in providing universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.

“Water supports all aspects of life on earth, and access to safe and clean water is a basic human right,” the U.N. said. “However, decades of mismanagement and misuse have intensified water stress, threatening the many aspects of life that depend on this crucial resource.”

The most recent State of the Climate Services on Water report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said floods have increased by 134 per cent and the duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000.

Conference participants are called to agree on a Water Action Agenda that will specify urgent actions to deal with the crisis and achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is universal access by people to safe water and sustainable management of water and sanitation by all by 2030. The Conference will feature five “interactive dialogues” to strengthen and accelerate action for key water areas, as reported by U.N. News.

The five interactive dialogues are::1.Water for Health: Access to safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation, 2.Water for Sustainable Development: Valuing Water, Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Sustainable Economic and Urban Development., 4.Water for Cooperation: Transboundary and International Water Cooperation, Cross Sectoral Cooperation and Water Across the 2030 Agenda, 5.Water Action Decade: Accelerating the implementation of the objectives of the Decade, including through the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan.

Global survey: 58 per cent percent of people are seriously concerned about fresh water shortages

A new research from GlobeScan highlights the global impact of worsening water shortages which are disrupting societies, economies, the environment, and every aspect of life as we know it.

Fifty-eight per cent of people across the world are very concerned about fresh water shortages, while 30 per cent say they have personally been “greatly” impacted by a lack of fresh water. 

Additionally, climate change is strongly connected to water shortages, with nearly four in ten people who have been personally affected by climate change saying they experienced it through drought. Together with Circle of Blue and WWF, GlobeScan released these key water findings from its GlobeScan Radar Survey ahead of the U.N. Water Conference.

. Key research findings include: Fifty-eight percent of people globally believe that fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue. Mexicans, Colombians, and Brazilians report the most concern about access to water, while people in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea are the least likely to say fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue

Strong concern about fresh water shortages has increased over the past few years, from a low of 49 percent in 2014 to 61 percent in 2022 among 17 countries consistently tracked, along with concern about climate change (45% in 2014 to 65% in 2022).

People in Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam, Colombia, Germany, and Peru report the largest increases in concern about water shortages over the past year.

30 percent of people globally claim they are “greatly” personally affected by fresh water shortages, while a global majority feel at least moderately personally affected (56%). Only one-quarter (25%) say they are not affected at all.

Majorities of people surveyed in Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, and Turkey say they are greatly personally affected by a lack of fresh water. In contrast, fewer than one in ten say they are greatly affected in Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Globally, people in urban areas (32%) are more likely than those in rural (28%) or towns and suburban areas (26%) to feel greatly affected by a lack of fresh water.

As many as 38 percent of people say they have been “greatly” personally affected by climate change, while as many as 75 percent have been at least “moderately” affected.  

People who say they have been personally affected by climate change often mention drought as one of the ways they have been impacted; 37 percent of those experiencing climate change personally claim this is through experiencing drought.

“We are seeing a rare convergence, when public opinion is aligning with profound realities as the world faces compounding water challenges that are affecting how we grow our food, generate our power, and support a sustainable economy and environment,” said J. Carl Ganter, Managing Director at Circle of Blue. 

“This survey of some 30,000 people definitively shows that citizens around the world are feeling and talking about the effects of water and climate stress. On the eve of the UN Water Conference, this is a crucial barometer that reveals increasing public demand for action from political and corporate leaders,” Ganter said.

Alexis Morgan, WWF Global Water Stewardship Lead comments: “Water doesn’t come from a tap – it comes from nature. But with nature loss and climate instability increasing, water scarcity will only worsen, impacting societies and economies across the globe. Yet through collaboration, restoring wetlands, re-connecting rivers, and replenishing aquifers, we have proven ways to tackle these shared water challenges. It’s time to urgently invest in these solutions.”

Perrine Bouhana, Director at GlobeScan comments: “It comes as no surprise that people are becoming more and more worried about the availability of fresh water. Last year droughts affected the lives of countless numbers of people on every continent. Indicators suggest this is likely to get worse. High levels of public concern about water means there is an opportunity right now for governments and NGOs to help people and businesses understand how their actions can genuinely make a difference to this globally important problem that affects all of us.”

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Needed to provide safe water to roughly 2 billion people without it: an annual investment less than half the US$ 270 billion now spent each year on bottled water.

In brief:

• The bottled water industry is helping to mask a crippling world problem: the failure of public systems to supply reliable drinking water for all, a key SDG target.
• Some private firms take a public good at little cost, treat it, and sell it back to those who can afford it. Ironically, many cases from 40 countries show the product is not always safe, with companies largely scrutinized far less than public utilities.
• The fast-growing problem of water bottle plastic waste is already enough every year to fill a line of 40-ton trucks from New York to Bangkok.
• With global sales of bottled water expected to almost double to half a trillion dollars by 2030, it is more important than ever to strengthen regulation of the overall industry.
• The industry’s growth further underlines global inequities and the need for universal access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water as a basic human right.

The full report, “Global Bottled Water Industry: A Review of Impacts and Trends,” by Zeineb Bouhlel, Jimmy Kopke, and Vladimir Smakhtin of the UN University Institute of Water Environment and Health, and Mariam Mina of McMaster University, is available for preview at https://bit.ly/3Z05gpM
Figures in the study are available for download at https://bit.ly/3JxBDXT
Contacts: Terry Collins
+1-416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc
Zeineb Bouhlel, +1-905-667-5511, zeineb.bouhlel@unu.edu

HAMILTON, Canada, March 16 – The rapidly-growing bottled water industry can undermine progress towards a key sustainable development goal: safe water for all, says a new United Nations report.

Based on an analysis of literature and data from 109 countries, the report says that in just five decades bottled water has developed into “a major and essentially standalone economic sector,” experiencing 73% growth from 2010 to 2020. And sales are expected to almost double by 2030, from US$ 270 billion to $500 billion.

Released a few days prior to World Water Day (March 22), the report by UN University’s Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health concludes that the unrestricted expansion of the bottled water industry “is not aligned strategically with the goal of providing universal access to drinking water or at least slows global progress in this regard, distracting development efforts and redirecting attention to a less reliable and less affordable option for many, while remaining highly profitable for producers.”

Says Kaveh Madani, UNU-INWEH’s new Director: “The rise in bottled water consumption reflects decades of limited progress in and many failures of public water supply systems.”

When the Sustainable Development Goals were agreed in 2015, he notes, experts elsewhere estimated an annual investment of US$ 114 billion was needed from 2015 to 2030 to achieve a key target: universal safe drinking water.

The report says providing safe water to the roughly 2 billion people without it woulds require an annual investment of less than half the US$ 270 billion now spent every year on bottled water.

“This points to a global case of extreme social injustice, whereby billions of people worldwide do not have access to reliable water services while others enjoy water luxury.”

Tap water perceptions. The study quotes surveys showing bottled water is often perceived in the Global North as a healthier and tastier product than tap water – more a luxury good than a necessity. In the Global South, sales are driven by the lack or absence of reliable public water supplies and water delivery infrastructure limitations due to rapid urbanization.

In mid- and low-income countries, bottled water consumption is linked to poor tap water quality and often unreliable public water supply systems – problems often caused by corruption and chronic underinvestment in piped water infrastructure.
Beverage corporations are adept at marketing bottled water as a safe alternative to tap water by drawing attention to isolated public water system failures, says UNU-INWEH researcher and lead author Zeineb Bouhlel, adding that “even if in certain countries piped water is or can be of good quality, restoring public trust in tap water is likely to require substantial marketing and advocacy efforts.”

Not necessarily safe. Dr. Bouhlel notes that the source of bottled water (municipal system, surface, etc.) the treatment processes used (e.g. chlorination, ultraviolet disinfection, ozonation, reverse osmosis), the storage conditions (duration, light exposure, temperature), and packaging (plastic, glass), can all potentially alter water quality. This may be inorganic (e.g. heavy metals, pH, turbidity etc.), organic (benzene, pesticides, microplastics, etc.) and microbiological (pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungus and parasitic protozoa).
According to the report, “the mineral composition of bottled water can vary significantly between different brands, within the same brand in different countries, and even between different bottles of the same batch.”

The report lists examples from over 40 countries in every world region of contamination of hundreds of bottled water brands and all bottled water types.

“This review constitutes strong evidence against the misleading perception that bottled water is an unquestionably safe drinking water source,” says Dr. Bouhlel.

Water bottlers generally face less scrutiny than public water utilities.
Co-author Vladimir Smakhtin, past Director of UNU-INWEH, underscores the report’s finding that “bottled water is generally not nearly as well-regulated and is tested less frequently and for fewer parameters. Strict water quality standards for tap water are rarely applied to bottled water, and even if such analyses are carried out, the results seldom make it to the public domain.”

Bottled water producers, he says, have largely avoided the scrutiny governments impose on public water utilities, and amid the market’s rapid growth, it is “probably more important than ever to strengthen legislation that regulates the industry overall, and its water quality standards in particular.”

With respect to the industry’s environmental impacts, the report says there is “little data available on water volumes extracted,” largely due to the lack of transparency and legal foundation that would have forced bottling companies to disclose that information publicly and assess the environmental consequences.”

“Local impacts on water resources may be significant,” the report says.

In the USA, for example, Nestlé Waters extracts 3 million litres a day from Florida Springs; in France, Danone extracts up to 10 million litres a day from Evian-les-Bains in the French Alps; and in China, the Hangzhou Wahaha Group extracts up to 12 million litres daily from Changbai Mountains springs.

Regarding plastic pollution, the researchers cite estimates that the industry produced around 600 billion plastic bottles and containers in 2021, which converts to some 25 million tonnes of PET waste – most of it not recycled and destined for landfills – a mass of plastic equal to the weight of 625,000 40-ton trucks, enough to form a bumper-to-bumper line from New York to Bangkok.

According to the report, the bottled water sector used 35% of the PET bottles produced globally in 2019; 85% wind up in landfills or unregulated waste.

By the numbers
Among the report’s many insights, derived from data analysis and other information assembled from global studies and literature:

• Over 1 million bottles of water are sold worldwide every minute
• Annual spending per capita worldwide is US$ 34
• Worldwide annual consumption of the three main bottled water types – treated, mineral, and natural – is estimated at 350 billion litres
• The estimated US $1.225 trillion in bottled water revenues represent 17 to 24% of the global market for non-alcoholic packaged beverages
• The biggest market segment (with 47% of global sales) is treated bottled water, which could originate from public water systems or surface water, and that undergoes a disinfection treatment such as chlorination• Citizens of Asia-Pacific are the biggest bottled water consumers, followed by North Americans and Europeans
• 60% of global sales are in the “Global South” (Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean)
• By country, the USA is the largest market, with around US$ 64 billion in sales, followed by China (almost US$ 45 billion) and Indonesia (US$ 22 billion). Together, these three countries constitute almost half of the world market. Other top countries by sales: Canada, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Thailand, Mexico, Thailand, Italy, Japan
• The average cost of a bottle of water in North America and Europe is around US$ 2.50, more than double the price in Asia, Africa and LAC ($0.80, $0.90 and $1, respectively). Australia, the fifth largest market, has the highest average price: $3.57 per unit.
• Bottled water per litre can cost 150 to 1,000 times more than the price a municipality charges for tap water.
• Biggest per capita consumers: Singapore and Australia. Citizens of Singapore spent $1,348 per capita on bottled water in 2021, Australians $386
• According to previous studies, about 31% of Canadians, 38% of Americans, and 60% of Italians use bottled water as their primary drinking source. In the Dominican Republic, 60% of households use bottled water as their primary water source, with a strong correlation between income and bottled water consumption. About 80% of Mexicans use bottled water, and 10% use home-purified water as their primary drinking water source; roughly 90% cite health concerns for doing so
• Egypt is the fastest-growing market for treated bottled water (40% per year). Seven other countries from the Global South are among the top 10 fastest-growing markets: Algeria, Brazil, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, India, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.
• In Europe, Germany is the biggest bottled water market; in Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico is the biggest market; in Africa, it’s South Africa.
• Treated water appears to be the market’s largest component by volume, while natural waters appear to generate the most profit.
• Five companies – PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé S.A., Danone S.A, and Primo Corporation have combined sales of $65 billion, over 25% of the global total
• Earlier studies of water withdrawals declared in India, Pakistan, Mexico and Nepal showed total estimated withdrawals by Coca-Cola and Nestlé in 2021 at 300 and 100 billion litres, respectively

These and other figures used in the study are available at https://bit.ly/3JxBDXT

The UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, a member of the UNU family of organizations, is the United Nations Think Tank on Water created by the UNU Governing Council in 1996.

Its mission is to help resolve pressing water challenges of concern to the UN, its Member States and their people, through the knowledge-based synthesis of existing bodies of scientific discovery; cutting-edge targeted research that identifies emerging policy issues; application of on-the-ground scalable solutions based on credible research; and relevant and targeted public outreach.

UNU-INWEH is hosted by the Government of Canada and McMaster University. http://bit.ly/1vjfKAS

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Note: Amongst other findings, the research shows 58 per cent of people are seriously concerned about fresh water shortages and 30 percent say they have been greatly impacted by a lack of fresh water. This new survey of almost 30,000 people from 31 countries was conducted by sustainability consultancy, GlobeScan, and is being released together with Circle of Blue and WWF.

A press release is below with full details including more data broken down by country as well as globally and quotes from J. Carl Ganter, (Managing Director, Circle of Blue), Alexis Morgan, (WWF Global Water Stewardship Lead) and Perrine Bouhan (Director at GlobeScan.) Interviews, images and footage are available as well as additional data broken down by country on request.

This announcement also coincides with GlobeScan’s latest webinar “The Future of Water: Insights to Help You Stay Ahead of What’s Next”. Further information and registration details are available here: 

Andrew Marcus on behalf of GlobeScan

PRESS RELEASE

WORRIES ABOUT WATER SHORTAGES ON THE RISE, SAYS NEW GLOBAL SURVEY

Fifty-eight percent of people are seriously concerned about fresh water shortages, according to research published ahead of the UN Water Conference

With the world gathering in New York next week for the first UN Water Conference in 46 years, new research from GlobeScan highlights the global impact of worsening water shortages which are disrupting societies, economies, the environment, and every aspect of life as we know it.

Fifty-eight percent of people across the world are very concerned about fresh water shortages, while 30 percent say they have personally been “greatly” impacted by a lack of fresh water. 

Additionally, climate change is strongly connected to water shortages, with nearly four in ten people who have been personally affected by climate change saying they experienced it through drought. 

Together with Circle of Blue and WWF, GlobeScan is releasing these key water findings from its GlobeScan Radar Survey ahead of the UN Water Conference from March 22nd to 24th where governments and companies must commit to urgent action to tackle the world’s water crises.  

Key research findings include:

• Fifty-eight percent of people globally believe that fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue. Mexicans, Colombians, and Brazilians report the most concern about access to water, while people in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea are the least likely to say fresh water shortages is a “very serious” issue.
• Strong concern about fresh water shortages has increased over the past few years, from a low of 49 percent in 2014 to 61 percent in 2022 among 17 countries consistently tracked, along with concern about climate change (45% in 2014 to 65% in 2022).
• People in Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam, Colombia, Germany, and Peru report the largest increases in concern about water shortages over the past year.
• 30 percent of people globally claim they are “greatly” personally affected by fresh water shortages, while a global majority feel at least moderately personally affected (56%). Only one-quarter (25%) say they are not affected at all.
• Majorities of people surveyed in Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, and Turkey say they are greatly personally affected by a lack of fresh water. In contrast, fewer than one in ten say they are greatly affected in Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.
• Globally, people in urban areas (32%) are more likely than those in rural (28%) or towns and suburban areas (26%) to feel greatly affected by a lack of fresh water.
• As many as 38 percent of people say they have been “greatly” personally affected by climate change, while as many as 75 percent have been at least “moderately” affected.  
• People who say they have been personally affected by climate change often mention drought as one of the ways they have been impacted; 37 percent of those experiencing climate change personally claim this is through experiencing drought.

“We are seeing a rare convergence, when public opinion is aligning with profound realities as the world faces compounding water challenges that are affecting how we grow our food, generate our power, and support a sustainable economy and environment,” said J. Carl Ganter, Managing Director at Circle of Blue. 

“This survey of some 30,000 people definitively shows that citizens around the world are feeling and talking about the effects of water and climate stress. On the eve of the UN Water Conference, this is a crucial barometer that reveals increasing public demand for action from political and corporate leaders,” Ganter said.

Alexis Morgan, WWF Global Water Stewardship Lead comments: “Water doesn’t come from a tap – it comes from nature. But with nature loss and climate instability increasing, water scarcity will only worsen, impacting societies and economies across the globe. Yet through collaboration, restoring wetlands, re-connecting rivers, and replenishing aquifers, we have proven ways to tackle these shared water challenges. It’s time to urgently invest in these solutions.”

Perrine Bouhana, Director at GlobeScan comments: “It comes as no surprise that people are becoming more and more worried about the availability of fresh water. Last year droughts affected the lives of countless numbers of people on every continent. Indicators suggest this is likely to get worse. High levels of public concern about water means there is an opportunity right now for governments and NGOs to help people and businesses understand how their actions can genuinely make a difference to this globally important problem that affects all of us.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Methodology Summary – The GlobeScan Radar survey is a global survey conducted online among samples of 1,000 adults in each of 31 countries and territories (1,500 in USA, 500 each in Hong Kong, Kenya, Nigeria, and Singapore, and 850 in Egypt), weighted to reflect general population census data. The research was conducted during June and July of 2022 with a total of 29,293 participants.  Participating markets include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam.

For more information contact:  Stacy Rowland Tel: +1 416 992 2705, stacy.rowland@globescan.com 

Laura Herd, Tel: +1 231 941 1355, laura@circleofblue.org 

Richard Lee, Tel: +31 6 54 287 956, rlee@wwfint.org 

About GlobeScan – GlobeScan is a global insights and advisory consultancy working at the intersection of brand purpose, sustainability, and trust. We partner with leading companies, NGOs, and governmental organizations to deliver insights that guide decision-making and build strategies that contribute to a sustainable and equitable future.

We combine over 35 years of data-driven insights with a global network of experts and the ability to engage any stakeholder or consumer. Our unique research programs and global capabilities help to know what’s new, what’s next, and what’s needed. And our advisory services help turn that knowledge into smart, strategic decisions.

Established in 1987, we have offices in Cape Town, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, and Toronto. As a proudly independent, employee-owned company, we’re invested in the long-term success of our clients and society. GlobeScan is a Certified B Corp and a participant of the United Nations Global Compact.

Learn more: www.globescan.com 

About Circle of Blue – Circle of Blue is the nonprofit newsroom that reports globally about the intersection of water, food, and energy in the changing climate. It received the Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Innovation Award for creating a new model of impact journalism and convening.

Learn more: https://www.circleofblue.org/  

About WWF – WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources and follow us on Twitter @WWF_media.

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New York, March 13 – Technology is a double-edged sword and more solutions are needed to address violence and harassment against women in the digital age, the United Nations heard in a conversation led by the President of the General Assembly on harnessing technology’s potential to end gender-based violence.

The event – organized on International Women’s Day March 8 – heard from women from around the world who described being targets of online harassment and abuse. Business leaders and advocates also described digital innovations to keep women and girls safe, and local leaders who highlighted support for survivors of gender-based violence.

The event took place during the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN headquarters in New York from March 6 to 17.

“Violence is a crime, online and offline. And violence against women is a global epidemic,” Csaba Kőrösi, the President of the General Assembly, said.

“Transformation will happen anyway, but we have an opportunity to guide it, to make it sustainable and just, within societies, within groups and with gender equality at its center.”

The discussion on “the role of technology in addressing violence against women and girls” was held on the sidelines of the Commission on the Status of Women, the key intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, whose priority theme this year is on innovation and technology.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous noted that technology and innovation could close the gaps in reaching full equality for women much faster than the 286 years expected.

But she added that artificial intelligence that is driving much of today’s innovation is developed by men, “and women find themselves in the middle with no skills to design them, to develop them”.

“Even when they go into STEM, most of them will fail, not because of their aptitude, but because they have been conditioned to think this is not their space,” Ms. Bahous told the audience.

Participants also heard personal stories from senior officials in the Pacific and the Middle East of targeted social media campaigns harassing them for having high-level positions in Government.

According to a study released by UN Women and the Interparliamentary Union (IPU), only around 11.3 per cent of countries have women Heads of State and 9.8 per cent have women Heads of Government.

While the number of parliamentarians is higher than ever before, there are wide global disparities with European Nordic countries on one side of the scale and rankings in the Middle East and North Africa region at the other.

“If I had been in my country during that time, I would have been afraid of stepping outside my house,” one woman Ambassador said, noting that she had been targeted at least three times in such a campaign.

Another senior official said it took her months to recover from cyberbullying, during a time when some people committed suicide.

One of the main topics of discussion was domestic violence and support for survivors.

According to figures cited during the conversation, one woman is killed by a family member every 11 minutes, and one in three will experience violence in her lifetime.

Violence against women is often linked to stalking, according to Commissioner Cecile Noelfrom the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), who also participated in the conversation at the UN.

Commissioner Noel shared that her Office, in partnership with Cornell University and New York University’s Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA), launched an app that can tell when malware has been installed on the woman’s or her children’s phone, to limit stalking.

This innovation is being offered at New York City’s Family Justice Centers, established to support survivors and their children in New York’s five boroughs. President Kőrösi visited the Manhattan Center in late 2022, describing it as a place that made his “soul fly” to see the work done.

The conversation included Ministers and other senior Government officials who highlighted national support to survivors, including through toll free numbers.

“We cannot let women to fight alone, we cannot leave the victims to fight alone,” said Jeannette Bayisenge, Minister on Gender and Family Promotion in Rwanda.

Participating in the conversation were several representatives from the business sector. 

Among them Patricia Georgiou, Director of Policy, Partnerships and Business Development at Google’s Jigsaw, who spoke about the harassment experienced by women journalists and activists.

“For every voice we hear, there are countless others who have been erased, ultimately driving women off the internet. This leaves us all poorer economically, politically and culturally,” Ms. Georgiou noted.

She discussed the work that Google is doing to update its policies and algorithms to exclude revenge pornography, hate speech and violence – as well as the decision to publicly share its algorithms, and partnership with academia to fight misogyny. She also highlighted that half of their engineers were women.

Also on the technology side was Sara Wahedi who following a suicide explosion near her home in Kabul, created Ehtesab, a digital app that provides real-time emergency information to residents in Afghanistan.

She shared a message from Sahar, a female engineer who is still in Afghanistan where the Taliban has forbidden millions of female students from attending secondary schools and universities, or working outside of the home.

“She has no space to breath. She has the fundamental right, as I do, to pursue her education. So please do remember Sahab today,” Ms. Wahedi said, sharing the message with the room.

President Kőrösi asked Sara to relay a message back to Sahar: “We are with you.”

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Doha/New York, March 9 – The U.N. conference on the Least Developed Countries ended with member states committing to measures to deliver on the Doha Program of Action, a 10-year plan to put the world’s 46 most vulnerable countries back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bold commitments at the conference marked a transformative turning point for the world’s poorest countries, whose development has been hindered by crises including COVID-19, climate change and deepening inequalities, the U.N said in a press release.

“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Least Developed Countries is a litmus test for achieving the 2030 Agenda writ large, including by ensuring that no one — and no LDC — is left behind” said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. “That is why the Doha Program of Action must be seen as a vehicle for SDG Acceleration.”

Under the theme ‘From Potential to Prosperity’ the conference aimed to drive transformational change to positively affect the 1.2 billion people who live in the LDCs.

“The commitments made this week are a true embodiment of global solidarity and partnership and will pave the way for a new era of international cooperation,” said Rabab Fatima, Secretary General of the Conference and UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

“This will result in more of the Least Developed Countries achieving the goal of graduation and a more prosperous and sustainable future,” she said.

5,000 participants attended LDC5, including 47 Heads of State or Government and 130 Ministers and Vice-Ministers. They called for developed countries to urgently provide the most vulnerable countries with the assistance they need to drive socio-economic and environmental development. Corporate leaders together with civil society, youth and other partners shared plans, innovations, and recommendations in several areas: from enhancing the participation of LDCs in international trade and regional integration to addressing climate change, strengthening global partnerships, supporting graduation, and leveraging the power of science, technology, and innovation.

The Doha Political Declaration, adopted March 9, reinforces the international community’s commitment to the Doha Program of Action.

Commitments

The Conference has presented a unique opportunity to translate the vision of the Doha Program into tangible results with countries and stakeholders showcasing a host of commitments. These commitments range from improving biodiversity and tackling malnutrition to resilience building in the LDCs.

Qatar announced a financial package of $60 million: $10m to support the implementation of the Doha Program of Action and $50 million to help build resilience in the LDCs.  

Germany dedicated €200 million in new money in 2023 for financing for least developed countries.

Canada announced $59 million to deliver Vitamin supplements in 15 LDCs and ecosystem conservation in Burkina Faso.  

The EU Commission announced cooperation agreements advancing sustainable investments in Africa totaling more than €130 million of investment.

Finland announced an annual event called the United Nations LDC Future Forum in Helsinki, with the Office of the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States – OHRLLS –, to ensure the latest thinking and research is being put to work to ensure progress on the most vulnerable states.

The Green Climate Fund announced a new project to give $80 million in equity to offer green guarantees to business in LDCs and bring down the cost of capital.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization, announced a new €10 million Tourism for Development Fund for LDCs, supported by TUI Care Foundation, that will invest by 2030 to support sustainable tourism in LDCs as a key driver of development.

The government of Kazakhstan pledged $50,000 to continue their work supporting the most vulnerable member states of the United Nations.

The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a major new loan package for the Least Developed Countries.

The following 46 countries are listed as LDCs as of March 2023:

Africa (33): Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.

Asia (9): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Yemen

Caribbean (1): Haiti.

Pacific (3): Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

The U.N. said 46 countries are deemed as least developed as they showed the lowest indicators of socio-economic development across a range of indexes. The LDCs are home to about 1.1 billion people, or 14 per cent of the world population and over 75 per cent of them still live in poverty.

According to data from the World Bank, all LDCs have a gross national per capita income (GNI) of below USD$1,018; compare that to almost $71,000 in the United States, $44,000 in France, $9,900 in Turkey and $6,530 in South Africa.

Key LDC5 links

LDC5 Website: https://www.un.org/ldc5/

Doha Programme of Action: https://www.un.org/ldc5/doha-programme-of-action

Doha Political Declaration: https://undocs.org/A/CONF.219/2023/L.1

Media Corner: https://www.un.org/ldc5/news

For more information, contact:

Conor O’Loughlin | LDC5 Spokesperson | conor.oloughlin@un.org

Sharon Birch | UN Department of Global Communications | birchs@un.org

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Riyadh/New York, February 20 – Wars, climate disasters and economic collapse are causing the largest food crisis in modern history, spreading famine that is affecting millions of people around the world, the chief U.N. humanitarian affairs and emergency coordinator said in an appeal to help those in needs.

“The world is facing the largest food crisis in modern history, and famine is knocking on many doors,” Martin Griffiths told a humanitarian forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on behalf of U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The forum was held under the theme “The Evolving Humanitarian landscape for 2023 and beyond” and attended by heads of state and government and donors to the U.N. emergency fund known as CERF.

“Our mandate and mantra is ‘We don’t give up.’ But to discharge this mandate, we need your help in practical and tangible ways,” Griffiths said.

Griffths described the current humanitarian landscape as “rough and rugged one” where needs are spiralling across the world and humanitarian crises are piling on top of each other, and “desperate people are looking to us in their hour of need.” He said women’s human rights specially are under “vicious attacks” in many places and injustice has festered for decades.

Griffiths said more than 350 million people around the world currently need humanitarian assistance and close to US$ 54 billion are needed to meet the basic needs of the worst affected among them.

“But experience shows that we can expect to raise barely half of that amount. Each year, our count of people in need, and dollars to raise, takes another jump. The trend is clear, and there are three main reasons for this,” he said.

He said more than 222 million people globally “don’t know when or even if they’ll eat another meal” and 45 million people are already on the brink of starvation with most of them women and children.

 The economic collapse fuelled first by the shock of Covid-19 pandemic, the year-old war in Ukraine and the recent earthquake in Turkeye and Syria are pushing millions of people to the brink, the U.N said. The U.N. has allocated up to $50 million to assist earthquake victims and $250 million from CERF to meet urgent humanitarian needs in score of countries.

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Joint statement by heads of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); International Monetary Fund (IMF); World Bank Group (WBG); World Food Program (WFP) and World Trade Organization (WTO) calling for continued urgent action to address the global crisis on food and nutrition security.

 (Following is the original statement – February 8, 2023)

We offer our deepest sympathies to the people of Türkiye and the neighboring Syrian Arab Republic who have suffered the recent earthquakes. Our organizations are closely monitoring the situation, assessing the magnitude of the disaster, and working to mobilize necessary support in accordance with each organization’s mandates and procedures.

Globally, poverty and food insecurity are both on the rise after decades of development gains. Supply chain disruptions, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, financial tightening through rising interest rates and the Russia’s war in Ukraine have caused an unprecedented shock to the global food system, with the most vulnerable hit the hardest. Food inflation remains high in the world, with dozens of countries experiencing double digit inflation.

According to WFP, 349 million people across 79 countries are acutely food insecure. The prevalence of undernourishment is also on the rise, following three years of deterioration.

This situation is expected to worsen, with global food supplies projected to drop to a three-year low in 2022/2023.^[1] The need is especially dire in 24 countries that FAO and WFP have identified as hunger hotspots, of which 16 are in Africa.^[2] Fertilizer affordability as defined by the ratio between food prices and fertilizer prices^[3] is also the lowest since the 2007/2008 food crisis, which is leading to lower food production and impacting smallholder farmers the hardest, worsening the already high local food prices. For example, the reduction in 2022 of the production of rice, for which Africa is the largest importer in the world, coupled with prospects of lower stocks, is of grave concern.

In response to the inflation of food, fuel and fertilizer prices, countries have spent over US$710 billion for social protection measures covering 1 billion people, including approximately US$380 billion for subsidies. However, only US$4.3 billion has been spent in low-income countries for social protection measures, compared to US$507.6 billion in high-income countries.^[3]

To prevent a worsening of the food and nutrition security crisis, further urgent actions are required to (i) rescue hunger hotspots, (ii) facilitate trade, improve the functioning of markets, and enhance the role of the private sector, and (iii) reform and repurpose harmful subsidies with careful targeting and efficiency. Countries should balance short-term urgent interventions with longer-term resilience efforts as they respond to the crisis. 

1.     Rescue hunger hotspots

We call on governments and donors to support country-level efforts to address the needs in hotspots, share information and strengthen crisis preparedness. The WFP and FAO need funds urgently to serve the most vulnerable immediately. In 2022, WFP and partners reached a record number of people – more than 140 million – with food and nutrition assistance, based on a record-breaking US$14 billion in contributions, of which US$7.3 billion came from the United States Government alone. WFP sent over US$3 billion in cash-based transfers to people in 72 countries and provided support to school feeding programs in 80 countries, including 15 million children through direct support and more than 90 million children through bolstering government national school feeding programs. FAO has invested US$1 billion to support more than 40 million people in rural areas with time sensitive agricultural interventions. These activities were primarily focused on the 53 countries listed in the Global Report on Food Crises.

The World Bank is providing a US$30 billion food and nutrition security package covering the 15 months from April 2022 to June 2023, including US$12 billion of new projects, which have all been committed ahead of schedule. This also includes US$3.5 billion in new financing for food and nutrition security in hotspots. In addition, the Bank has allocated US$748 million from its US$1 billion Early Response Financing modality of IDA’s Crisis Response Window (CRW) to mostly address needs in hotspots and is mobilizing additional funds for the CRW.

Funding for the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) must also be mobilized to provide concessional financing to low-income countries facing balance of payment needs. The IMF’s new Food Shock Window has so far supported Ukraine, Malawi, Guinea and Haiti, while nine countries facing acute food insecurity benefited from IMF financial support through new programs or augmentation of existing ones, with a focus on strengthening social safety nets and policies to help address the impact of the food crisis. The Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS) is supporting greater crisis preparedness through the development and operationalization of multi-sectoral Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plans across 26 counties, which should be supported by governments and donors. GAFS also continues to monitor the severity of the food crisis and the financing of the global response through the Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard. We also welcome efforts by all parties to mobilize more funding for Africa’s agricultural transformation, as noted in the Dakar Declaration^[4] and we want to acknowledge the great work done by David Beasley, Executive Director, WFP, during his tenure. 

2.     Facilitate trade, improve the functioning of markets, and enhance the role of the private sector

Countries should minimize trade distortions, strengthen the provision of public goods, and enable the private sector to contribute meaningfully to improved food security outcomes. We repeat our urgent call for countries to (i) avoid policies such as export restrictions, which can impede access to food for poor consumers in low-income food-importing countries; (ii) support trade facilitation measures, to improve availability of food and fertilizer, (iii) support trade finance initiatives in a transparent and indiscriminatory manner; and (iv) adhere to the commitments made at the WTO’s 12^th Ministerial Conference.^[5] While countries have lifted some export bans on wheat and rice, new export restrictions and bans, particularly on vegetables, are hampering availability on global markets. Global food security can be strengthened if governments support both food producers and consumers in a smart and targeted manner, such as by strengthening the provision of public goods in ways that improve farm productivity sustainably. Countries can use e-voucher schemes for fertilizers and avoid large-scale public procurement and subsidized distribution schemes, either on farm inputs or farm products, that crowd out the private sector. The WBG’s US$6 billion IFC Global Food Security Platform supports farmers to access fertilizers and other critical supplies while helping private companies make longer-term investments, focusing on improving the resilience of agri-food systems and fertilizer use efficiency. Countries should follow FAO‘s International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers to sustainably manage nutrients for food security.^[6]

3.     Reform and repurpose harmful subsidies with careful targeting and efficiency

Countries should reform and repurpose general universal subsidies towards temporary, better targeted programs for global food security and sustainable food systems, considering the key aspects of (i) efficiency, (ii) cost and fiscal sustainability, (iii) flexibility, (iv) administrative complexity, (v) equity, and (vi) strengthened resilience and sustainability. Most of the global social protection response to inflation is in the form of subsidies, half of which are untargeted, inefficient, and costly to already constrained governments. Support should be scaled up for countries to strengthen and deploy comprehensive, actionable and shock responsive social protection strategies. Policies and reforms supported by financing from IMF and the World Bank have focused on the transition from broad-based measures to more targeted approaches. Countries need to re-examine and reform their support to agriculture, which amounted to about US$639 billion per year between 2016 and 2018, and has since been on the rise. Of every dollar spent, only 35 cents end up with farmers.^[7] Much of this support incentivizes inefficient use of resources, distorts global markets, or undermines environmental sustainability, public health, and agricultural productivity. Without ignoring the inherent trade-offs associated with large scale policy reforms ^[10], this funding should be reformed and repurposed in ways that strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the agri-food system, such as the adoption of good agricultural practices, research and innovation (including in fertilizer application efficiency and alternatives to synthetic fertilizers), extension and advisory services, improved infrastructure and logistics, and digital technologies that improve productivity sustainably. The FAO new science and innovation strategy and the agri-food systems technologies and innovations outlook, ^[11] together with the One CGIARInitiative, plays a pivotal role across these areas to deliver global benefits of individual country reforms.^[8]

Action is already under way to address underlying structural challenges in social protection and in the food and fertilizer markets, but more concerted action across these three key areas is needed to prevent a prolonged crisis. We are committed to working jointly and with impact to support the most vulnerable.

This is the third Joint Statement by the Heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Food Programme, and World Trade Organization on the Global Food and Nutrition Security Crisis. The previous Joint Statements can be accessed here (1) and here (2).

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