The Guardian view on the global food crisis: no time to lose | Editorial

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated a desperate situation. Famine is not inevitable - but action must be swiftHunger is stalking the world. Seven years ago, the United Nations vowed to eradicate it by 2030. Yet the number of people affected globally reached 828 million last year, and an unprecedented number - 345 million - are currently experiencing acute food insecurity, the UN has warned.Covid-19 and the climate emergency had seen that tally rise from 135 million people before the pandemic to 276 million by early this year, reflecting a 55% increase in the Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index since May 2020. "We thought it couldn't get any worse," said David Beasley, head of the World Food Programme. Continue reading...