A world going hungry? How conflict and climate change disrupt global food supply | Business Beyond

Summary

The world faces a paradoxical food crisis despite surplus production. Key factors include the Ukraine war disrupting exports, exacerbating hunger in Africa reliant on Ukrainian grain. Climate change impacts agriculture, affecting crop yields and prices. The global food system, dominated by a few corporations, struggles with distribution and affordability. Solutions proposed include precision fermentation, localizing food production, diversifying crops, and wealth redistribution to address rising food insecurity.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The world is facing a paradoxical situation where, despite abundant food production, hunger is on the rise due to complex factors such as war, climate change, and systemic issues.
• 🇪🇺 The war in Ukraine has significantly disrupted global food supplies, with around 20 million tons of agricultural commodities unable to be exported, affecting global food prices and availability.
• 🌾 Approximately a quarter of Ukraine's arable land has become unfarmable due to the conflict, further straining the global food system.
• 🚢 The Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports has trapped millions of tons of wheat and other essential commodities, exacerbating the global food crisis.
• 🌍 Russia and Ukraine together account for a substantial portion of global wheat and sunflower oil exports, highlighting the vulnerability of the concentrated international grain trade.
• 📈 The dependency of developing nations on food imports from a few key exporters poses a significant risk, as disruptions in supply can lead to severe food shortages and饥饿 crises.
• 🌡️ Climate change is adversely affecting agriculture in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia, leading to reduced crop yields, lower supply, and increased food prices.
• 💡 The global food system is criticized for its focus on production rather than equitable distribution and affordability, with concerns about the control of a few large corporations over food trade.
• 🏭 A handful of companies, known as the ABCD companies, have significant control over global grain trade, which may contribute to food price volatility and accessibility issues.
• 🌱 Potential solutions to the food crisis include investing in new technologies like precision fermentation, localizing food production, diversifying food sources, and implementing progressive taxation to address wealth inequality.

Q & A

What is the current global situation regarding hunger despite abundant food production?

Despite the world producing enough food to feed 12 billion people, there are still 800 million people experiencing hunger. The issue is not about the quantity of food produced but rather about access to it, highlighting a problem with the global food system.

How has the war in Ukraine impacted global food prices and availability?

The war in Ukraine has led to a significant rise in food prices, particularly for dairy products, cereals, and vegetable oils. Around 20 million tons of agricultural commodities that should have been exported are now unexported due to the conflict, and a quarter of the land usually used for planting crops has become unfarmable.

What role do Russia and Ukraine play in the global wheat trade?

Together, Russia and Ukraine supply around 25% of the world's traded wheat. This concentration in the grain trade means that disruptions in these countries can have a significant impact on global food security.

How are developing nations affected by the rising costs of food?

Developing nations are severely impacted by rising food costs, as they often rely heavily on imports for basic food supplies. For instance, nearly half of African countries import more than a third of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, making them particularly vulnerable to price shocks.

What are the challenges faced by Ukraine in exporting its agricultural products due to the war?

Ukraine faces challenges such as unfarmable land due to occupation and military battles, as well as a blockade by Russia on its Black Sea ports, which prevents millions of tonnes of wheat and other products from being exported.

How does climate change contribute to the global food crisis?

Climate change contributes to the global food crisis by causing unpredictable rainfall patterns, more intense and frequent extreme weather events, and increasing temperatures, all of which negatively affect crop yields and supply, leading to higher prices and food insecurity.

What is the significance of the 'ABCD' companies in the global food system?

The 'ABCD' companies—Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill, and Louis Dreyfus—significantly influence the global food system by controlling a large portion of the global grain trade and related sectors. Their control raises concerns about potential collusion and the impact on food affordability.

What alternative solutions are proposed to address the global food crisis?

Suggested solutions include adopting new technologies like precision fermentation, localizing food production to reduce inequality, diversifying agriculture to strengthen national and regional food systems, and implementing progressive taxation measures to address wealth inequality.

How does the current global food system's reliance on a few major exporters pose a risk?

The reliance on a few major exporters for key commodities like wheat and maize makes the global food system vulnerable to shocks in those regions. This concentration can lead to price volatility and food insecurity when those exporters face disruptions.

What is the potential impact of a global food system collapse as described in the script?

A collapse of the global food system could lead to a dystopian scenario where only the wealthy can afford food, exacerbating inequality and potentially leading to widespread hunger and suffering among the world's poor.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Global Hunger Crisis Amidst Abundance

The script opens with the paradox of global hunger amidst a world of food surplus. It highlights the dire situation in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, where one person dies from hunger every minute, and West Africa faces its worst hunger crisis in a decade. Despite the production of enough calories to support twice the human population, hunger is on the rise. The script suggests that factors like the war in Ukraine, environmental destruction, and a broken food system are contributing to this crisis. The war in Ukraine has disrupted agricultural exports, with 20 million tons of commodities unexported, and a quarter of Ukraine's farmable land rendered unfarmable due to the conflict. The Russian blockade of the Black Sea ports has trapped millions of tons of wheat, leading the EU to accuse Russia of weaponizing the food supply and exacerbating global hunger.

05:05

🚞 Challenges in Replacing Black Sea Exports

Paragraph 2 discusses the difficulties of replacing the sea routes for Ukrainian exports, which have been blocked by the war. It mentions the challenges of using land routes such as trains, trucks, or barges, including infrastructure limitations and bureaucratic hurdles. The script also points out that the global food system was already in a precarious state before the Ukraine crisis, with less wealthy nations struggling due to climate change impacts on agriculture. These impacts include increased temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events, all of which affect crop yields and contribute to food insecurity. The script emphasizes that the countries most affected by climate change are often not the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, highlighting the injustice of the situation.

10:06

🔍 The Broken Global Food System

Paragraph 3 delves into the systemic issues within the global food system, suggesting that it is on the brink of failure. Despite enough food being produced to feed 12 billion people, 800 million still go hungry, indicating a problem of access rather than production. The script discusses the concentration of power in the hands of a few large corporations, known as the ABCD companies (Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill, and Louis Dreyfus), which control a significant portion of the global grain trade. Critics argue that these corporations are exploiting the situation to inflate prices and increase their profits, while representatives of the agricultural trade body Coceral argue that there is room for companies of all sizes in the market. The script raises concerns about the potential for collusion and the lack of diversity in the global food trade, which could lead to a collapse of the food system.

15:10

🌱 Potential Solutions to the Global Food Crisis

The final paragraph outlines potential solutions to the looming global food crisis. It suggests that new technologies, such as precision fermentation, could help produce protein and fat more sustainably. Localizing food production is presented as a way to reduce inequality in access to food between wealthy and less wealthy nations. The script also emphasizes the need for stronger national and regional food systems, diversification of crops, and innovation to create products from locally available commodities. Additionally, it discusses the importance of ensuring that citizens can afford food through welfare programs and progressive taxation measures. The paragraph concludes by urging governments to take action to prevent a catastrophe, highlighting the high stakes and the availability of tools to address the crisis.

Keywords

💡Hunger crisis

A hunger crisis refers to a situation where there is a severe shortage of food, leading to widespread malnutrition and starvation. In the context of the video, it is highlighted by the fact that regions like Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are experiencing a person dying from hunger every minute, indicating the gravity of the situation.

💡Food surplus

Food surplus is a condition where the amount of food produced exceeds the amount needed for consumption. The video mentions that despite a massive surplus of food, with twice as many calories produced than humans need, hunger is still on the rise, pointing to issues not of production but of distribution.

💡Climate change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. It is mentioned in the video as a significant factor contributing to the hunger crisis, with impacts such as unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather events affecting crop yields and food supply.

💡Conflict

Conflict, particularly the war in Ukraine, is highlighted as a key factor exacerbating the food crisis. The war has led to a reduction in farmable land and a blockade preventing the export of agricultural commodities, affecting global food prices and availability.

💡Food system

The food system encompasses all activities and processes involved in feeding a population, from production to distribution. The video discusses how the current global food system is under pressure and potentially on the verge of collapse due to various shocks like war and climate change.

💡Food security

Food security means having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The video emphasizes that food security is threatened by the current crisis, with countries like those in Africa being heavily reliant on food imports, making them vulnerable to global market fluctuations.

💡Global grain trade

The global grain trade involves the buying and selling of grains on the international market. The video points out that a handful of countries, including Russia and Ukraine, dominate this trade, and their conflict has significant ripple effects on global food prices and availability.

💡Food inflation

Food inflation refers to the increase in the price of food over time. The video discusses how food inflation is a concern, with companies potentially using it as a justification for price hikes, which can disproportionately affect lower-income consumers.

💡Precision fermentation

Precision fermentation is a technology that uses microbes to produce protein and fat, potentially as an alternative to traditional animal farming. The video suggests this as a possible technological solution to the food crisis, allowing for local production of protein and fat.

💡Localizing production

Localizing production means producing food closer to the point of consumption. The video discusses the benefits of localizing food production for increasing food security and reducing the impact of global market shocks on local food supplies.

💡Wealth redistribution

Wealth redistribution refers to the process of spreading wealth more evenly among the population. The video suggests that wealth redistribution, such as implementing progressive taxation on excessive corporate profits, could help address food affordability issues and put more money in the hands of those who need it most.

Highlights

The world is facing a paradox of hunger amidst abundance, with one person dying from hunger every minute in certain regions.

Despite a surplus of food production, hunger is on the rise due to a complex interplay of factors.

The war in Ukraine has exacerbated the food crisis by disrupting exports of crucial agricultural commodities.

Approximately 25% of Ukraine's arable land has become unfarmable due to the ongoing conflict.

Russia and Ukraine together supply around 25% of the world's traded wheat, highlighting their importance in global food security.

The dependency of developing nations on food imports from Ukraine and Russia poses a significant risk to their food security.

Climate change impacts, such as unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather events, are affecting crop yields and contributing to food insecurity.

The global food system is under pressure, with some theorizing it may be approaching a tipping point of collapse.

The concentration of the global grain trade in the hands of a few countries and corporations raises concerns about equity and sustainability.

The current food system is criticized for focusing on production rather than equitable distribution and affordability.

The role of large corporations in the food industry is questioned, with some accusing them of profiting from high food prices.

The potential collapse of the global food system could lead to a dystopian scenario where only the rich can afford food.

Technological innovations like precision fermentation are proposed as a way to increase local food production and reduce reliance on global trade.

Localizing food production and strengthening regional food systems are suggested as strategies to improve food security.

Diversifying agriculture and investing in innovation to utilize local commodities more effectively is crucial for self-sufficiency.

Implementing progressive taxation measures on excessive corporate profits could be a way to address food affordability issues.

The urgency for governments to act on multiple fronts, including technology, trade, climate change, and wealth redistribution, to prevent a global food catastrophe.

Transcripts

The world is struggling to feed itself.

A planet that once looked like it was winning the  war on starvation is now heading for disaster.

“There is one person dying from hunger every  minute across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.  

In West Africa, the region is facing  its worst hunger crisis in a decade

But when there’s never been more food and there’s  never been more farming, how is this possible?

It's an extraordinary situation, isn't it? A world  of great abundance. I mean, we have a massive  

surplus of food, twice as many calories are  produced than humans need to support themselves,  

and yet we see rising hunger once again Keep watching to find out what brought  

us here. Was it the war in Ukraine?  Was it environmental destruction?

We have these three factors  coming together, climate change,  

hunger and conflict, locking us into  this vicious cycle. A kind of trap.

Or is it simply that the system is broken? Many kids think that food comes from the fridge,  

right? So that is because food is available  through distribution systems. [...] What is  

being pressure tested here is that  capacity for that system to survive

Is the world food system about to collapse?  And if so, what can we do to stop it? 

Find out in this edition of Business Beyond. In recent years, the prices for some of  

the world’s most crucial foodstuffs have been  rising. Dairy products, cereals, and vegetable  

oils are now significantly more expensive  than they were even a couple of years ago.

One recent event has sent them soaring  to new heights: the war in Ukraine.

We haven't been able to export around 20  million tons of agricultural commodities,  

which we should definitely have  exported if there was no war

The Ukrainian government says that since  Russia’s invasion in February of 2022,  

around a quarter of the land usually used  for planting crops, has become unfarmable.

“...because some territories are partly  occupied, and on some territories keep  

military battles, and on some still mines.”

Not only that, but  much of the produce that IS  

being successfully farmed for export is  being prevented from leaving the country.

A Russian blockade of Ukraine’s  crucial Black Sea ports  

means millions of tonnes of  wheat, for example, are trapped. The EU calls Russia’s actions a war crime, saying it’s weaponising the lives  of the world’s starving poor. Because when Ukraine’s not  exporting… the world has a problem. 3.03

Jennifer Clapp - Canada Research Chair in  Global Food Security and Sustainability 

“So together, Russia and Ukraine supply  around 25% of the world's traded wheat.  

That's not the wheat that's produced, it's just  the wheat that goes on international markets.  

The problem with this happening is that we  actually have a very concentrated international  

grain trade situation where just a handful  of countries actually are the ones who are  

exporting most of the grain that gets  traded. For example, just seven countries  

plus the European Union account for almost  90% of the traded wheat on the world market.   And just four countries account for over 80%  of the traded maize on world markets. And   Russia and Ukraine together account for around  60% of the world's sunflower oil. And these   are all really important commodities in the  food system: wheat, maize, and cooking oil.“

…And because Ukraine is exporting less of those  things, their prices are rising. While wealthy  

countries can to some extent brush off the rising  costs, for developing nations: it’s a disaster.

“Nearly half of African countries import more than  a third of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine.  

And, for example, Somalia sources more than 90%  from those two countries. So the Ukraine war  

has actually revealed just how much lower income  countries depend on the world market for the  

basic food supplies to feed their people. And  this dependency on food imports, it's dangerous 

The Russian blockade of the Black  Sea means Ukraine and its neighbours  

are looking for alternative ways to get  Ukraine’s exports to where they need to be. 

“We haven't stopped any exports.  We haven't put any rejections or  

any restrictions on possibilities to export  grains from Ukraine. We do our best, as I said, to  

increase the volume exported  through other routes.”

But replacing sea routes is not proving simple.

“The ports are closed now and they have to do  it by land. So you have either trains, trucks or  

barges. In terms of rail tracks, the complications  are: difference of gauge - the width of the rails.  

You also have the fact that the Romanian  infrastructure, rail infrastructure, is at max  

capacity at the moment, and it cannot take a lot  more. It needs investments that cannot happen  

within two, three weeks. [...] What we've seen as  well is trains would arrive at a certain point and  

then they didn't have the paperwork and so they  had to wait for the paperwork. And that blocks.”

The absence of Ukrainian exports threatens to push  the world over the edge and into a full-blown food  

crisis. But that wouldn’t be the case, if  the system wasn’t already in dire straits.

Some less wealthy nations were already  struggling to feed their populations  

because of factors well beyond their control. 

“Even before the Ukraine crisis, there are  countries like the countries on the edge of  

the Sahara, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and  a few others, but also the horn of Africa,  

Kenya, Somalia and others that are  suffering because of climate change.”

“So we see these impacts of climate  change on agriculture, things like  

increasing temperature, more variable  and more unpredictable rainfall patterns,  

and more intense and more frequent extreme weather  events, things like flash floods or storms.  

And these, of course, affect crop yields. And  when crop yields are affected, supply falls. And  

of course, then prices rise, and higher prices,  of course, contribute to food insecurity.”

And as is so often the case when it comes  to climate change, the biggest losers  

are not the biggest emitters - the industrialised  

nations - but the countries worst  equipped to weather the impact.

“So this is happening all over the world. But  impacts are perhaps most markedly felt in parts  

of Africa and Asia because of the prevalence  of poorer and more agrarian economies.”

Agnes Kalibata - President of  Alliance for a Green Revolution in  

Africa & former Rwanda Agriculture Minister “If you look at Africa here for example,  

we experience droughts, we've been  experiencing droughts since 2014  

and recognizing that that has undermined  the ability of the agricultural sector to  

be able to provide food is something  that the world needs to recognize.”

7.47

Rising global temperatures have already  placed less wealthy nations in Africa  

and Asia in a position where their citizens  won’t be able to withstand today’s rising prices.

7.59

Agnes Kalibata - President of Alliance  for a Green Revolution in Africa & former  

Rwanda Agriculture Minister “There's a risk that about  

58 million people in Africa might go hungry,  

mostly because of a combination of those  factors, a factor of increasing climate change,  

but also then increasing prices that make whatever  is available outside the reach of most people.”

8.15

ROB WATTS: But as well as these two major external  factors - the war in Ukraine and climate change  

- there is another significant threat to the  global food system. And that’s the system itself.

8.28

BROKEN SYSTEM Janani Vivekananda - Adelphi climate think tank 

“So we actually have enough food being  produced to feed 12 billion people,  

and yet we still have 800 million  people going hungry. So this is not  

about producing enough or not producing  enough food, it's about access poverty.”

8.38

ROB WATTS: That’s right. There is more than enough  food in the world to go round. The problem is,  

some countries find it easier  to get hold of it than others.

8.50

Janani Vivekananda - Adelphi climate think tank “The current food system does not do anything  

to address this because all incentives are around  

production. So what we don't see are  policy incentives to move us towards  

more equitable production, more sustainable  production and also addressing these issues  

of how to get food to those who most need it,  and how to ensure that food is affordable.”

“Most countries were producing food and were  focusing on producing food as the way of ensuring  

food sectors at country level. We then moved into  a global food system when the distribution of food  

became more important than production of food.  So it didn't matter where food was produced  

as long as it goes to your front door, right?  So the extent that actually many kids think that  

food comes from the fridge, right? So that is  because food is available through distribution  

systems. Now, what is being put to question here  is that ability to get food irrespective of what  

is produced, what is being pressure tested here  is that capacity for that system to survive.“

And there are those who now theorise  that the global food system is showing  

the signs of a system that is about to fail. “The reason why chronic hunger has been rising  

since 2015, is that as this system becomes weaker,  shocks are transmitted more easily through it.  

And that's a classic sign of a system approaching  

its tipping point, getting very  close to the point of collapse.”

The writer George Monbiot is among those  who believe we’ve seen a key global system  

in this state before… Just prior  to the 2008 financial crash.

“The global food system has acquired very similar  characteristics to the global financial system.  

In systems theory terms, It's nodes. In other  words, its major operators have become very large.  

On one estimate, four corporations control 90%  of global grain trade and the seeds, chemicals,  

machinery processing, packaging, et cetera,  as well. We've seen the behaviour of those big  

corporations begin to synchronise. They've become  linked in all sorts of obscure ways, quite similar  

to how the financial institutions became linked.” The four companies George Monbiot is referring  

to are known in international  circles as the ABCD companies.

They're called the ABCD because  that stands for the first  

letter in each of their names. So that's Archer  Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus.  

And these companies all date back  over 100 years, some even longer.

“They're basically logistics firms. They operate  in many countries. They own ships, rail cars,  

they're getting new stuff from ATB. They  don't grow any food, they're not hoarding  

it particularly, but they have an extraordinary  amount of information. And because we don't have  

an international kind of public grain system,  they know a lot about what's happening in  

all the major importer-exporter countries and  there's no other operators that can rival that.”

“In any sector where there's just a handful of  companies that are controlling all the business  

in a particular sector. It can raise  concerns. It can raise concerns about  

potential for collusion among those firms  conspiring to raise prices or it can raise concern  

about the fact that those companies are really  controlling the possibilities that others have  

to buy and sell things because they are  the main middle operators that are moving  

grains. So countries that are exporting  don't have a lot of choice in terms of  

who's going to move their grain and the  buyers also don't have a lot of choice.”

Grain isn’t the only crucial  food commodity controlled by

((12.50 BUNGE PICS)) just a handful of companies.

((12.52 CARGILL PICS))

There are others. And there  are those who argue that

((12.56 DREYFUS PICS))

these corporations are playing a major  role in making food unaffordable.

13.00

Devinder Sharma - Food & trade policy analyst ”We all blame the food inflation for the  

price rise that we witness in the  supermarkets. But in reality it is  

not the price rise as far as food prices are  concerned. It is the greed of the companies  

or the large corporations which is  actually driving the prices high.”

13.20

Devinder Sharma argues that corporations are  taking advantage of the current situation on  

food markets to justify unnecessary price  rises, and to line their own pockets.

13.31

Devinder Sharma - Food & trade policy analyst “Nobody wants to even know that the company's  

profits have been ploughed in to  provide bonuses to the top management.  

And whereas the prices for the consumers  are going up and then the companies tell,  

oh, we are sorry, we can't do anything because  the inflation rise is what is being passed on to  

consumers. [...] You can always blame farmers  for a little rise in prices and you say,  

oh, it is the food inflation, but what about  the greed inflation that is taking place?

13.09

ROB WATTS: Representatives of the global  agricultural and food industry reject the idea  

that large companies are dominating the sector,  and to the detriment of consumers the world over.

14.22

Iliana Axiotiades - Secretary General of  Coceral (Europe agricultural trade body) 

“You also have a lot of small companies. You have  two people behind the desk. You have small and  

medium sized companies. And there's a role for  everyone. You have those who do international  

trading, intra-EU trading, those who will focus  on imports, so those who focus on exports,  

et cetera. [...] So traders are not influencing  the type of production because there are all kinds  

of traders, all size of traders, and there are  traders who are specialising in different areas.”

Nevertheless, we have a global system,  viewed by many as already flawed,  

that is now facing a series of shocks  beyond its control. And that is what  

has raised fears of a catastrophic  collapse of the world’s food supplies.

“If the food system collapses, well, we’re  talking about a whole different scale of effects.  

Basically it means that the rich will continue to  eat and the poor just won't eat at all. Food will  

not go to the poor because food prices will,  soar only the rich will be able to afford it. And  

it's almost a sort of horror  film scenario. It's dystopian.”

So what needs to be done if the world is to avoid  

catastrophe? Well there is a whole  feast of possible solutions. So let’s  

work through some of them. First of all,  can we invent our way out of trouble?

“There's some really exciting new technologies  which have come along just when we need them  

most. The biggest shift is going to be towards  precision fermentation, using microbes to produce  

protein and fat instead of using animals  and soya and palm oil and the rest of it.  

[...] You could set up a brewery outside  every town. You can have local businesses  

using precision fermentation to brew protein  and fat, which can then be turned by those  

local businesses into products suitable for  the local market, completely autonomously.

The idea of localising production is  at the centre of a lot of the possible  

solutions to the world’s current food problems.  

This could help end the inequality of access  between wealthy nations and less wealthy nations.

“I think what you would do better is to have these  stronger national, regional food systems, more  

production, but also exchange of food that would  then engage in the global system and benefit from  

the rules. But it wouldn't be dictated to by the  global rules. You would be looking for more scale  

appropriate rules where you need them and without  inhibiting global commerce. You wouldn't allow  

global commerce to overshadow the much larger  amount of food that is domestic and even local  

that is being met in a  local or a regional system.”

As well as changing where we get our food from -  we might also need to start changing what we eat.

“We need to strengthen the capability  of countries to feed their people.  

Part of this will come from diversification,  like I said earlier, growing what we do well.  

And there are many commodities here in Africa  that people can do well that they can grow.  

And we need to invest in innovation that takes  these commodities and gives us products that we  

are looking for anyway in other commodities that  we import. So increasing the place of cassava,  

the place of millet in bread that we use wheat  for, or in other products that we use wheat for,  

is something that is beginning to happen and it's  something that countries should double down on.”

Then there’s also the issue of ensuring  the citizens of these countries  

can afford the food that’s available.

“What you want to do is put money in  people's hands. You want to do that.  

You want to do that through welfare  programs because Covid showed like 160  

or more countries, some of the  poorest countries in the world  

put money in people's hands, people who'd  lost their jobs, and that gave them that.  

They found food. There’s food in the system  and you want people to be able to access it.“

And how do you put more  money in more people’s hands?  

Well some activists are clear on the answer to  that. It’s a clear case of wealth redistribution.

“The fortunes of food billionaires  have risen during the COVID pandemic  

and there are now 62 new food  billionaires in the world.  

So people in poorer countries spend more than  twice as much of their money on food than those in  

rich countries. And while inflation is rising  everywhere, the food price hikes are particularly  

devastating for low-wage workers whose health  and livelihoods have already been vulnerable.  

One measure to address this could be that  the government start implementing progressive  

taxation measures to tax these excessive corporate  profits that were made during the pandemic.”

New technology, localising trade, tackling climate  change and taxing the rich. Just some of the  

solutions that could rescue the world  food system from the brink of collapse.

The stakes could not be higher -  millions of people’s lives are at risk.  

The tools are there to prevent a true catastrophe.  It’s time for governments to use them.

That’s all from this edition of  Business Beyond. If you’ve enjoyed it  

please hit like and subscribe, and check  out our playlist. Our recent video about  

the global boom in billionaires is well  worth a watch. Until next time, take care.