Overview   Global Food and Nutrition Security

Compound shocks are set to reshape global agrifood systems in 2026, driven by converging pressures from extreme weather, geopolitical conflicts, and fiscal constraints. This publication offers a timely analysis of how El Niño-induced weather anomalies, ongoing conflicts including the Ukraine war and Near East tensions, and economic strains such as debt crises and humanitarian funding cuts are collectively disrupting food production and trade. It highlights critical vulnerabilities and emerging risks that demand urgent attention.

As of August 2026, acute food insecurity remains at very high levels across many countries, according to the mid-year update of the Global Report on Food Crises 2026. The report points to conflict, insecurity and weather extremes as the main drivers, aggravated by high food and fertiliser prices. At the same time, new risks linked to the climate phenomenon El Niño, the Middle East conflicts and reduced humanitarian funding are expected to worsen conditions further in late 2026 and into 2027.

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Food security and nutrition (FSN) information systems are essential for evidence-informed policy, anticipatory action and resilient food systems. Yet funding contractions, declining institutional capacity, political and governance constraints, and rapid digital transformation are placing critical information functions under increasing pressure, affecting the availability, quality and timeliness of data and countries' ability to anticipate and respond to food and nutrition crises. Digital and AI innovations present opportunities, but they cannot substitute for sustainable financing, institutional capacity, governance and coordination.

The adoption of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women's and Girls' Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition represents an important milestone for advancing gender equality across agrifood systems. The challenge now is implementation: how to translate policy commitments into tangible and lasting change for women and girls.

This paper by ActionAid synthesises the findings of an extensive review of uptake of agroecology in 10 African countries: Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Agroecology is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone for agrifood systems transformation; however, a persistent challenge remains: the lack of robust, comparable and policy-relevant data to support decision-making at scale.

This year’s World Food Day theme is “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”

Empowering women farmers for food security and nutrition: working together to advance inclusive and sustainable food systems

This resource provides an interactive access to evidence from the Global Report on Food Crises.

The EU Food System Dashboard is a tool developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) to monitor the sustainability of the EU food system from an environmental, economic and social perspective, based on a set of indicators.

Ending hunger is within reach. The world already produces enough food to nourish everyone, yet 645 million people still face hunger, and 2.69 billion cannot afford a healthy diet. As conflict, economic instability and climate shocks put pressure on agrifood systems, the challenge is how to ensure access to reliable, affordable and nutritious food for people everywhere.

The document synthesises information from a range of sources to better inform about the hidden costs of modern agricultural systems. The report highlights figures showing where economic outputs from chemical agriculture mask the true costs that agrochemical products create in local and territorial markets.

Based on a selection of 28 references from trusted sources, the Knowledge Centre for Global Food and Nutrition Security has elaborated this review to document the impacts of El Niño on food security and nutrition, as of October 2026. Further updates will be provided as the situation evolves.

Food work is the foundation of every meal we eat and central to human life, yet the people who feed us are among the most exploited workers in the world.

This brief reflects on the relationship between the sustainable food systems and gender equality agendas, focussing on EU’s evolving engagement in external action. It highlights a paradox in policy and analytical debates: while both transformative agendas have gained prominence and political endorsement, their intersection remains underdeveloped and uneven, with limited guidance on operationalising their synergy.

The World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event is a global platform that drives action to transform agrifood systems through the power of youth, science and innovation, and investment. Bringing together all stakeholders, it serves as a dynamic space for turning ideas into actions, scaling solutions and forging synergistic partnerships. By uniting diverse voices and fostering cross-sectoral and intergenerational collaboration, it accelerates progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, driving action at global, regional and local levels.

This publication explores the impact of the escalation in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on food security risks for women and girls.

The Micronutrient Forum’s 7th Global Conference (MNF 2026) convenes the global nutrition community at a pivotal moment for action. In response to today’s interconnected challenges, the program will examine evidence, policy, and innovation across nutrition, food systems, climate, and development.

This commentary observes that achieving the EAT-Lancet report's recommended transition to the Planetary Health Diet (PHD) requires social, economic and production transformations which risk exacerbating gender inequalities throughout food systems unless strategies to create a just transition for women and girls are similarly bold and transformative. It sets out how women are disadvantaged across food systems and notes that recent shocks and anti-rights backlash have reversed progress, leaving a persistent gender gap in food insecurity.