The report points to a global surge in acute food insecurity, including an increase in the number of people on the brink of famine. Many are cut off from life-saving aid as a result of conflict, insecurity and other obstacles to humanitarian access in several countries.   Beyond conflict, many of the 23 hunger hotspots that appear in the report are experiencing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic and climate shocks.   Ethiopia and Madagascar are the newest on the list of countries facing catastrophic levels of acute hunger, which now includes the following: Ethiopia; South Sudan; Yemen; Madagascar; Nigeria (northern)   Ethiopia's devastating food emergency, linked to conflict in the Tigray region, is expected to push over 400 000 people into catastrophic conditions by September – the highest number in one country since the 2011 famine in Somalia.   Families in Madagascar, meanwhile, are up against the worst drought the country has seen in 40 years, according to the latest Hunger Hotspots report.

In recent years, several major drivers have put the world off track to ending world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The challenges have grown with the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures. This report presents the first global assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition for 2020 and offers some indication of what hunger might look like by 2030 in a scenario further complicated by the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes new estimates of the cost and affordability of healthy diets, which provide an important link between the food security and nutrition indicators and the analysis of their trends. Altogether, the report highlights the need for a deeper reflection on how to better address the global food security and nutrition situation.

New report shows evidence that the DesertLocust upsurge in the Horn of Africa and Yemen—which began 16 months ago—is recessing as a result of massive joint surveillance and control operations co-led by govts' and FAO.

Soil pollution is invisible to the human eye, but it compromises the quality of the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe and puts human and environmental health at risk. Most contaminants originate from human activities such as industrial processes and mining, poor waste management, unsustainable farming practices, accidents ranging from small chemical spills to accidents at nuclear power plants, and the many effects of armed conflicts. Pollution knows no borders: contaminants are spread throughout terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and many are distributed globally by atmospheric transport. In addition, they are redistributed through the global economy by way of food and production chains.

The third World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will be celebrated on 7 June 2021 to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. This publication is a guide for all those wishing to become involved.