Speech by Commissioner Urpilainen at the launch of the 2023 Global Report on Food Crises

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

It's an honour to join you today.

The 2023 Global Food Crisis Report gives us an even fuller picture of global hunger than previous editions.

Unfortunately, the numbers are alarming.

People in 7 countries are facing situations close to famine.

35 million people are on the brink of starvation.

258 million people are experiencing an acute food and nutrition crisis.

Colleagues,

Countries with limited fiscal space and high debt cannot withstand global economic shocks, triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sustained disruption to value chains, soaring food and energy prices, and record inflation are just too much to absorb.

The EU has reacted swiftly to respond to the global food crisis with humanitarian, development and trade actions. Also my dear colleague, Commissioner Lenarcic is here today, participating in this discussion.

The EU has contributed, for example, through its Solidarity Lanes to the stabilisation of food prices at global levels.

But, we must find sustainable, medium and long-term solutions to food security challenges.

This means promoting sustainable and resilient food systems and supporting our partner countries' strategic autonomy.

Together with our Member States, the EU has mobilised almost EUR 18 billion to help partner countries address the global food crisis until 2024.

We have targeted initiatives to boost local food production and decrease dependence on unsustainable imports.

We actively support the African Continental Free Trade Area to enhance intra-regional agri-food trade.

And of course, we continue to work multilaterally to accelerate the pace of progress. Towards this end, I just had important food security oriented discussions in Rome with FAO and IFAD.

Excellencies,

In the coming months, we together take stock of progress on food systems transformation and on Agenda 2030.

Given the scale and severity of the global food crisis, we are called to act and to collaborate.

And to renew our global commitment to Zero Hunger.