Worldwide, the number of people facing crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity has more than doubled since 2017. The 2023 Mid-Year Update of the Global Report on Food Crisis (GRFC) signals 238 million people in 48 countries with recent, comparable data are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, an increase by 10 percent from 2022. The GRFC provides trends and projections of food crises and informs the Global Network Against Food Crisis on where humanitarian and developmental assistance is most needed. These new acute food insecurity numbers come at a time of ongoing uncertainty in global food markets amidst the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, fears for a strong El Niño phenomenon and other potential shocks.

Most food crises grow out of compounding causes such as conflict, adverse weather shocks fueled by climate change, and economic shocks. A good understanding of these causes can facilitate the development of sound crisis response plans and anticipatory action to help mitigate a looming crisis and build food systems resilience. Calls have grown for preemptive or anticipatory action to mitigate impacts, reduce recovery costs, and strengthen social, economic, and environmental resilience to shocks, but resources for humanitarian responses still remain significantly larger than those for preventive development action.

This seminar will take stock of existing early warning, early action systems (EWEAs) and examine whether they provide sufficient guidance to policymakers and decisionmakers keen to enhance anticipatory action and is featured under the IFPRI-AMIS policy seminar series on Making Sense of Food and Agricultural Markets.

Opening Remarks

• Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR; Director General, IFPRI

Global Food Crisis: Where do we Stand and How is the GRFC Servicing Early Warning Systems?

• Sara McHattie, Global Coordinator of Food Security Information Network (FSIN) 

How to Identify Food Crisis Risks? Early Warning Systems for Global Market Shocks and for acute Food Insecurity

• Rob Vos, Director, Markets, Trade and Institutions (MTI), IFPRI 

What Works and What Does not Work with Existing Early Warning Systems to Inform Preventative Action?

• Arif Husain, Chief Economist, World Food Programme (WFP) 

Agricultural Market Early Warning Mechanisms for Identifying Global Risks to Food Security

• Joseph Glauber, Senior Research Fellow IFPRI and Secretary of AMIS 

How can Improvements/Integration of EWEAs better Facilitate Anticipatory Action?

• Sandra Ruckstuhl, Senior Researcher at International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and co-lead CGIAR initiative on Fragility, Conflict and Migration (FCM)

Global Network Against Food Crises and Early Warning, Early Action to Address Food Crises

• Leonard Mizzi, Head, Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries, European Commission 

Moderator

• Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI