CLIMATE and conflict are some of the primary drivers of food insecurity and escalating global hunger. Some 673 million people face acute hunger despite the world growing enough food to feed everyone on the planet twice over. Apart from causing death and ill health, the duo is pushing millions below the poverty line each year.

Over the long term, climate change is known to reduce land fertility, crop production and the nutritional value of food. Extreme weather events damage crops, destroy harvests and prevent communities from accessing food. Conflicts worsen the hunger crisis by disrupting supply chains and causing price hikes of basic food commodities. Both climate and conflict displace populations and expose them to hunger.

Global food prices rose sharply in 2022 amid the Ukraine crisis, when supply routes were disrupted. The current Middle East conflicts have further increased the risk of food insecurity, with disrupted supply chains for fuel and fertilisers, which are key requirements for agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s food price index registered a 2.4 per cent increase between February and March. The World Food Programme estimates some 45m more people could face acute hunger this year if the conflict continues.

Yet another dimension exacerbating the hunger crisis is food loss and waste. Scientific and technological innovations have helped increase food production, but the benefits are not fairly distributed across the globe. Each year, over a billion tonnes of food is wasted globally. In developing countries, an estimated 30-40pc of food is lost or wasted even before reaching households due to inadequate storage, lack of cold chain infrastructure, inefficient distribution systems and limited processing capacity. This also means loss of water, energy, fertiliser, work hours and more. Ironically, 60pc of the food waste is at the household level, with 9pc of humanity going hungry each day. Together, food loss and waste cost the world economy $1 trillion annually.

Each year, over a billion tonnes of food is wasted globally.

Beyond financial losses, food loss and waste contribute to global warming by generating 8-10pc of greenhouse gas emissions; 14pc of global methane emissions come from food-waste landfills.

The nexus between climate, conflict and hunger is on full display in many hotspots across Africa and Asia. UN estimates show that an overwhelming majority of people facing hunger live in poor developing countries, which are most vulnerable to climate change and are impacted directly or indirectly by simmering or raging conflicts.

The UN’s 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report warns that global hunger remains at critical levels amid conflict, drought and aid cuts. It predicts a bleak scenario for 2026. Import-reliant countries in Africa and Asia could face sharply higher hunger risks. In these regions, about150m children under five suffer from stunting due to chronic nutrient deficiencies.

Pakistan’s dilemma in ensuring food security for a large population amid global uncertainty, price volatility and financial constraints is no different. The UN report estimates that 10.1pc of Pakistan’s population experienced severe food insecurity and 16.5pc were undernourished, with a staggering 33.6pc of children under five stunted. Pakistan loses or wastes around 20m tonnes of food worth $1bn annually.

The coexistence of large-scale waste, food insecurity and malnutrition is not a mere moral contradiction but a reflection of structural weaknesses in how food systems are organised. A reset of agricultural policy is needed to prioritise investment in modernising storage capacity, sec­uring supply cha­ins and diver­sify-

ing crops through a balanced plan for subsidies, support prices and water allocation. The current arr­a­ngement works well for farmers growing sugarcane, wheat, cotton and maize, but leaves aside other high-value crops. It is important to incentivise farmers to grow oilseeds and pulses; the bulk of Pakistan’s food imports are cooking oil and pulses. In the last fiscal year, Pakistan spent $8.1bn on importing food — a sizeable import bill that is set to rise amid conflict, climate and global price volatility. In times of financial strain, reducing expensive food imports should be an essential element of trade and agriculture policies. More so because policy adjustments can increase crop production of needed commodities at home.

Globally, unpredictable climate conditions, conflict, and rising energy costs can also cause food price inflation, plunging more people into hunger and poverty. There is no quick fix, but as the UN report recommends, a comprehensive policy approach that balances short-term relief with long-term resilience will be needed to support vulnerable populations.

The writer is director of intergovernmental affairs, United Nations Environment Programme.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026