BERLIN —The “Global Alliance for Food Security” (GAFS), jointly convened by the Group of Seven (G7) Presidency and the World Bank Group to catalyze an immediate and concerted response to the unfolding global hunger crisis, was launched at the G7 Development Ministers meeting today in Berlin, Germany.
German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze and World Bank Group President David Malpass issued the following joint statement:
“The world is currently dealing with a series of overlapping crises, including the Russian war against Ukraine, repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing global economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, significant droughts around the globe, and other challenges. The poorest and most vulnerable people in emerging and developing economies are the most affected. Countries are now facing physical shortages of food, and many more are experiencing higher food, energy, and fertilizer prices.
A concerted, global effort is needed now. This new global alliance will bring countries and institutions together to support and leverage existing structures, mechanisms, and programs to respond with urgency to the surge in food prices. The immediate objective is to coordinate closely as we initiate a short-term response over the next months. It is critical to increase the supplies of food, fertilizer, and fuel, remove barriers to trade, and provide financial support to ease the impacts of this crisis.
Establishing global food security will need our continued commitment and a comprehensive review of the factors contributing to food insecurity. We need to increase countries’ resilience to current risks and future challenges, including climate change. This includes supporting farmers to become less vulnerable to both droughts and extreme rains. The alliance will therefore also work together to help countries build stronger food systems and gradually transition to a sustainable agricultural production base.
We welcome the willingness to engage and contribute to the alliance from partners including the African Union, the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group, the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), as well as the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). We welcome further interest from other partners.”