IPES-Food Report: Global Hunger Crisis amidst High Debt Levels and UrgentNeed for Action

• 15 Mar 2023

The International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) has released a report, on March 6, 2023, bringing attention to the growing global hunger crisis and high levels of debt distress.

• Global public debt has reached its highest levels in almost 60 years, forcing countries to choose between repaying debts and feeding people.
• About 60% of low-income countries and 30% of middle-income countries are at high risk of debt distress or already in debt distress.
• The poorest countries in the world have seen the costs of servicing their debt increase by 35% in 2022.
• 62 developing countries spent more on debt payments than on healthcare during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 45 countries were in need of external food assistance by November 2022, with 349 million people facing acute food insecurity and 49 million on the brink of famine.

The report recommended the following measures:

• Debt relief is needed to prevent a global hunger crisis. It also includes providing funding for healthcare, social safety nets, and economic stimulus.
• Climate change is exacerbating food insecurity, and debt relief is needed to support the development of climate-resilient food systems.
• Debt relief is a crucial component of efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, especially in the context of the global hunger crisis as highlighted by the report.