Climate Shock: 1°C Rise Could Plunge 70 Million More Into Hunger - The Alarming Global Food Crisis Unveiled!

Economy

|

Updated on 13 Nov 2025, 09:34 am

A recent analysis by the World Food Programme (WFP) reveals a stark connection between rising global temperatures and food insecurity. The report projects that for every one-degree Celsius increase in local temperature, an additional 70 million people could face food insecurity across 45 different countries. This study directly examines the link between gradual global warming, not just extreme weather events, and its incremental impact on hunger.

The analysis utilizes Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) data, which assesses the proportion of a population experiencing crisis-level food insecurity (IPC 3 or greater). The dataset comprises 393 assessments from 2017 to 2025. Without any temperature anomaly, an estimated 252 million people would be food insecure in these 45 countries. However, a scenario with a one-degree Celsius anomaly shows this number jumping to 322 million, an increase of 70 million people.

The report highlights that countries like Haiti and Yemen exhibit the highest "temperature sensitivity," meaning a one-degree Celsius rise could increase their food-insecure population share by up to eight percent. The Eastern Africa region shows more than double the temperature sensitivity of Western Africa. In Southern Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan were analyzed, with Afghanistan showing higher sensitivity, though Pakistan's larger population influences regional numbers.

Impact: This news has significant implications for global food systems, agricultural markets, and international stability. Increased food insecurity can lead to higher commodity prices, strain government resources, and potentially trigger social unrest. For India, while not directly experiencing the most extreme sensitivities mentioned, it implies potential impacts on global food supply chains, import/export dynamics, and the prices of agricultural commodities. Countries heavily reliant on food imports could face greater challenges, indirectly affecting Indian trade and economy. Rating: 6/10

Difficult Terms Explained: * **Food Insecurity**: A situation where people do not have adequate access to enough food for healthy and active life. * **Temperature Anomaly**: The difference between the observed temperature and the average temperature for a particular location and time period. A zero-degree anomaly means the temperature is exactly average. * **Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)**: A set of tools and procedures to make a rigorous, consensus-based judgment about the severity and causes of food insecurity. IPC 3 refers to "Crisis" level food insecurity. * **Temperature Sensitivity**: A measure indicating how much a country's food insecurity increases with a given rise in temperature.