Climate change is fuelling a global hunger and nutrition crisis that is exacerbating existing inequalities and has severe, compounding impacts on women and girls.
The climate crisis takes many forms: changing temperatures, more frequent and worsening droughts and floods, and rapidly degrading soil quality all impact people’s ability to access sufficient healthy food. Staple crops, pastoral systems, and fruits and vegetables are already being affected by climate change, which is
also increasing incidences of agricultural pests and diseases.
All countries with a high prevalence of undernutrition are already among the third most climate vulnerable countries in the world. Almost three quarters of countries with the highest levels of undernutrition are also among the 25 most climate vulnerable.
Without swift, effective action, these outcomes are only expected to worsen, putting up to an additional 183 million people at risk of hunger compared to a no-climate change scenario by 2050.
Our key asks for COP29 are:
- Make polluters pay based on their historical responsibility for climate change.
- COP29 must deliver action for communities facing hunger and malnutrition.
- The Global Goals must include measures of food security with a special focus on vulnerable groups.
- The impact of the climate crisis on women and girls must be included in negotiations.