Consider how these factors might reduce the level of food sufficiency in an area:

Climate change – this could be a term’s work by itself – you should be aware of the
potential impacts of climate change on the world’s agricultural regions.

Increasing energy prices (particularly a rise in price in oil) – make reference to the impact
of this on the cost of fertilisers as well as running farm machinery and vehicles.

Rising demand due to growing affluence in India and China.

The growing trend for biofuel production (partly a consequence of point 2 above ...)

Global economic trends: these would include the success of land speculation schemes,
trends in global commodities (which include certain key foodstuffs).

For each factor find a recent (within the last ten years) news article that gives to real
examples with dates, locations and figures.

1 Climate change
United Nations News
INTERVIEW: Connection between human rights and climate change ‘must not be denied’
Climate and Environment
The right to life, food, development, self-determination, water and sanitation, and adequate
housing, is being denied to millions of people because of climate change, the first UN Special
Rapporteur on the Protection of Human Rights in the context of Climate Change, has told the
General Assembly in his first formal report to the body.
Ian Fry, Australian National University Professor and Tuvalu’s former ambassador for Climate
Change for over 21 years, was appointed in May by the UN Human Rights Council, as the first
Special Rapporteur on climate, following the overwhelming vote to recognize the Right to a
Healthy Environment, in 2021.
“Human-induced climate change is the largest, most pervasive threat to the natural environment
and societies the world has ever experienced, and the poorest countries are paying the heaviest
price”, the expert told delegates.

Mr. Fry highlighted the “enormous injustice” perpetrated by rich countries and major
corporations, which are not acting to reduce their greenhouse emissions, and consequently
failing the poorest and least able to cope.

“The G20 members, for instance, account for 78 per cent of emissions over the last decade”, he
underscored.
The Special Rapporteur sat down with UN News before delivering his report, which focuses on
three areas: mitigation action, loss and damage, access and inclusion, and the protection of
climate rights defenders.
He spoke about what he hopes the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Egypt (COP27) will
achieve, addressed some of the climate-action challenges given the war in Ukraine, and shared
some of the recommendations he made to member states, including the call for a High-Level
Forum to be held next year.
UN NEWS: And what are the challenges regarding the loss and damage issue?
Well, there are major developed countries that are quite concerned about it and looking at this
issue from the perspective of what the polluter pays. At the moment, the countries most affected
by climate change and suffering the costs are having to deal with those costs themselves.
I was recently in Bangladesh and saw firsthand the impacts of climate change. And it's unfair for
countries like Bangladesh to have to deal with the cost of climate change on their own, which is
not of their own making. So, the most vulnerable countries produce the least amount of
emissions, yet they're paying the cost of the damage from climate change.
So, it's time the big countries, the major emitters, stood up and said, “we've got to do something,
we've got to make a contribution to these vulnerable countries”.
2 Increasing energy prices
Ukraine war squeezes food supplies, drives up prices, threatens vulnerable nations
Kicking off a three-day meeting on Friday on the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and
its wider impact on food and energy prices, the head of the UN agriculture agency outlined key
ways for governments to help safeguard global food security.
Under the theme Securing Global Food Security in Times of Crisis, QU Dongyu, Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General, told agriculture ministers from G7 wealthy
nations gathered in Stuttgart, Germany, that the most significant threats stem from conflict, and
the associated humanitarian impact, together with multiple overlapping crises.
Wheat dependency
Turkey, Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Congo, Namibia and other countries
dependent upon Ukraine and Russia for wheat have been greatly impacted.
Mr. Qu said that these States need to identify new suppliers, “which could pose a significant
challenge, at least in the next six months”.
Starred countries are import dependent on food markets from Ukraine and Russia.
FAO Starred countries are import dependent on food markets from Ukraine and Russia.
Fertilizer reliant
At the same time – with levels ranging from 20 to more than 70 per cent – Brazil, Argentina,
Bangladesh, and other nations, are reliant on Russian fertilizer for their crops
While Africa overall accounts for only three to four per cent of global fertilizer consumption,
Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast are amongst the most vulnerable countries, relying heavily on
Russian supplies.
“We need to assure that key food exporting countries have access to the needed fertilizers to
assure sufficient food availability for the next year,” said the top FAO official, encouraging all
countries to improve fertilizer efficiency, including through soil maps and improved application.
3 The growing trend for biofuel production
BBC
Cambridgeshire biofuel bin lorries 'cut carbon by 90%'
Bin lorries which ran on biofuel instead of diesel cut carbon emissions by 90%, councils said.
Eight lorries from a fleet of about 50 were powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for a
two-month trial in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
A "significant proportion" of carbon emissions at both councils derive from diesel bin lorries, the
councils said
The local authorities are switching to electric and hydrogen lorries but said biofuel could be a
stop-gap.
Rosy Moore, executive councillor for environment at Cambridge City Council, said: "We are not
prepared to simply continue running diesel trucks well into the future until the entire fleet is
electric, and this trial of vegetable oil-based fuel provides a useful interim solution."
No modifications are required to use HVO in the bin lorries, which can be filled with HVO
rather than diesel, the councils said
Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, which collects recycling and rubbish from around 127,000
households, runs two fully electric bin lorries, with a third on order.
A solar farm to power further electric bin lorries is planned at its service depot at Waterbeach.

4 Global economic trends

World Economic Outlook, April 2022: War Sets Back The Global Recovery
April 19, 2022

Description: The war in Ukraine has triggered a costly humanitarian crisis that demands a
peaceful resolution. At the same time, economic damage from the conflict will contribute to a
significant slowdown in global growth in 2022 and add to inflation. Fuel and food prices have
increased rapidly, hitting vulnerable populations in low-income countries hardest. Global growth
is projected to slow from an estimated 6.1 percent in 2021 to 3.6 percent in 2022 and 2023. This
is 0.8 and 0.2 percentage points lower for 2022 and 2023 than projected in January. Beyond
2023, global growth is forecast to decline to about 3.3 percent over the medium term. War-
induced commodity price increases and broadening price pressures have led to 2022 inflation
projections of 5.7 percent in advanced economies and 8.7 percent in emerging market and
developing economies—1.8 and 2.8 percentage points higher than projected last January.
Multilateral efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis, prevent further economic
fragmentation, maintain global liquidity, manage debt distress, tackle climate change, and end
the pandemic are essential.