10+1 things to know about food security and climate change
What we eat is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, along with fossil fuel use and deforestation. Climate change threatens food security both directly and indirectly almost everywhere in the world. However, a lot can be done to improve the situation.
Text: FCA Working Group Illustration: Carla Ladau
1 Climate change is changing food production.
Food production and distribution are affected by changes in temperature and rainfall, the increase in storms and other extreme weather events, rising sea levels, the spread of disease, a reduction in pollinators and an increase in crop-eating insects amongst other factors. The impacts on food security are multidimensional, making it impossible to predict the consequences with certainty.
2 Food security is faltering.
Food security is achieved when all people – including future generations – have access to enough safe and nutritious food from one day to the next. For example, climate change may affect the availability of food on the market and reduce individual access to food. Climate change can also affect the quality of food.
3 Extremes increase insecurity.
According to the Global Report on Food Crises by the Global Network Against Food Crises, nearly 282 million people in almost 60 countries experienced acute food insecurity in 2023. Although the underlying factors are diverse and mutually reinforcing, the report estimates that extreme weather events were the cause of food insecurity in 18 countries, or about 72 million people. Other factors causing food insecurity include instability, conflict and economic crises.
4 The spiral fuels itself.
Because ecosystems are complex entities, undesirable developments in one area often accelerate them in others. Heat fuels drought, which in turn increases the need for irrigation, which affects water quality and availability. In some areas, global warming may be thought to improve yields, but at the same time, plant diseases and insects may spread. The chemicals used for control also affect pollinators.
5 Food shortages create refugees.
Climate change knows no borders. For example, droughts or floods can deprive entire communities of their livelihoods, and sometimes the only way to survive is to leave their homes. Those forced to leave their homes often end up in areas where there is already a food crisis. When large numbers of people settle in existing communities, disputes over resources can lead to conflict and instability, which already undermines food security.
6 Adaptation is unavoidable.
There are already many ways to improve food security that have been forgotten in the context of mono-cultural intensive production. Innovations have already been seen, for example, in plant proteins, the production of which places a significantly lower burden on the environment than animal production. It can also be a matter of simple changes: in Kenya, some pastoral communities have replaced cows with camels, which are more tolerant of drought and heat.
7 Our relationship with food needs to change.
The current food system in the so-called developed countries is unsustainable. According to estimates by the UN’s agricultural and environmental organizations, more than a tenth of food is lost before it is sold. In households, restaurant services and shops, almost a fifth is lost. Improving food security requires a significant change in attitude, especially in the global North, and a more equitable distribution of food.
8 Changes can be good too.
Industrialised animal production in particular poses significant ethical and environmental problems that accelerate climate change. A shift to a plant-based diet would also be good for human health. For example, with the return of traditional preservation methods and new recipes, a planetary diet could bring many benefits to people, other animals, and the environment – and thus also to the survival of the human species.
9 Solutions can be found in nature.
Mono-cultures or giant livestock farms that are prone to diseases and pests are detrimental to biodiversity. Agroecology, or diverse food production, is a more sustainable option from a land use and biodiversity perspective. Solutions must be tailored to each region, as there is no one-size-fits-all recipe. Local food production strengthens communities and reduces dependence on imported food.
10 Food security is part of resilience.
Adequate and nutritious food is a vital part of the well-being of both individuals and communities. It is not just that only a well-nourished person can be a productive part of their community. Food insecurity increases psychological vulnerability. Worrying about food often interferes with schooling and work.
+1: FCA is supporting this transition.
Food security is strongly linked to Finn Church Aid’s work on peace, livelihoods and education. Sustainable food production helps, for example, in conflict prevention, and by providing education rather than supporting livelihoods, people have better opportunities for sustainable and local food production and diets.
Sources: Interview with Aly Cabrera, climate expert at Finnish Church Aid, IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land, FAO and WFP Hunger Hotspots report, and 2024 Global Report on Food Crises.
A large proportion of Nepalese people get their daily food from their own backyards. Vegetable gardens, which are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, are the lifeblood of families in remote areas of Nepal.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Antti Yrjönen
A BROWN CHICKEN that until recently pecked around the yard has lost its head. Its fate? To end up as part of the lunch Sabitri Gurung Ale, 28, and Dhansara Ale, 31, are preparing today. Before its demise, the bird was free to roost and dig in the yard with its fellow birds, living a life of which most of the world’s domestic animals can only dream.
Video shows chicken curry being made in Taranga village in Nepal.
Dhansara’s chicken stew
MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS You will need: a sharp knife for carving the chicken, a large wok or frying pan with high sides. Serve with jasmine rice.
1 chicken or 600–700 grams of chicken meat
2 onions
1 garlic clove
A good piece of ginger
500 g cherry tomatoes or tomatoes, chopped
1 chili pepper (spiciness to taste)
A dash of oil for frying
300–500 ml water
A pinch of salt
2–4 tablespoons ground turmeric
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces.
2. Chop the onions, garlic and ginger and sauté them in oil in a pan.
3. Add the turmeric and stir. Add the chicken and fry until cooked.
4. Add the chili, chopped cherry tomatoes and water. Cook until you have a soft stew.
In rural villages in Nepal, chickens are allowed to live freely in the yards.
IN TARANGA VILLAGE in Surkhet district of western Nepal, chicken is rarely eaten. Birds and goats are slaughtered for food, mainly for celebrations and guests. Meat may also be needed when the fields and vegetable gardens produce a poorer harvest than usual.
Sabitri and Dhansara belong to the same family, as their husbands are brothers. The women’s home is 34 kilometers from the nearest big city, Birendranagar. The journey takes an hour and a half on the dusty, hilly and partly unfinished road, even in a four-wheel drive. Shops and health services are far away, and Sabitri and Dhansara’s families don’t have enough money to spend there in any case.
In the village of Taranga, self-sufficiency is a lifeline for families.
Vegetable curry from one’s own vegetable garden
The ashes are still smoking as Sabitri gathers them into a bowl with her bare hands in the shade of her rustic kitchen.
Soon a new fire is burning in the campfire, and she pours cooking oil into the pan. The ingredients for the vegetable curry are waiting to be added to the pot: plump cabbage, onions, garlic, and potatoes as small as the bottom of the pot. Everything has been picked directly from the family’s own field.
Video shows how to make vegetable curry.
Sabitri’s vegetable curry
MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS You will need: a large wok or saucepan for the curry, a saucepan for heating the milk, a stone base and a grinding stone (a mortar and pestle will do).
1 white cabbage
About 1 kg potatoes
2 onions
A dash of cooking oil for sautéing the vegetables
1 chili pepper (spiciness to your taste)
1 whole garlic clove
400 ml milk
700 ml water (you can add more water if the curry consistency seems too dry)
A pinch of salt
2–4 tbsp ground turmeric
1. Start by heating the milk in a saucepan.
2. Chop the cabbage, cut the potatoes into pieces and slice the onion. Cut the chili into pieces and the garlic cloves into smaller pieces and grind them into a smooth paste, to which you can add a couple of tablespoons of cold water if necessary.
3. Sauté the onion in cooking oil for a while in a wok.
4. Add the turmeric and the chili garlic paste you prepared. Stir.
5. Sauté the potatoes over low heat first, stirring, and add the cabbage when the potatoes start to cook.
6. Add the milk to the mixture and gradually add the water. Simmer gently over low heat. Stir and let it simmer under the lid.
Video shows how to make spice paste.
Minty spice paste
ABOUT 30 GRAMS OF PREPARED PASTE You will need: a stone base and a grinding stone (a mortar will also work).
300 g fresh cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
A good bunch of fresh mint
1 chili pepper (spiciness to taste, but preferably hotter than mild)
A good pinch of salt
About 1 cl water
1. Chop the tomatoes, mint and chili pepper into small pieces.
2. Grind the chopped tomatoes, mint and chili pepper into a smooth paste. Add cold water in small amounts if necessary until the consistency is correct.
3. Finally, add salt to taste. You can also add mint, chili pepper and tomato if you like.
DID YOU KNOW? 70 per cent of Nepalese people earn their living from agriculture. The country’s agricultural area is 2.7 million hectares. Only half of that is irrigated. (Source: cdkn.org)
Climate change is affecting Nepal, making life particularly challenging for families who have traditionally relied on their own fields for not only their livelihood but also their food.
Irrigation of the cropland creates a lot of extra work for Dhansara Ale and Sabitri Gurung Ale when the rains don’t come normally. According to the women, unusual weather events such as drought have plagued the village of Taranga for a decade.
TOMATO STEMS snake along their support canes. Their leaves are pale yellow, and the soil in the potato field cracks with thirst. This year there hasn’t been enough to sell the crop, which means the family has been living on a shoestring.
“Everything depends on water. Now there is none,” says Sabitri.
Climate change is affecting Nepal. As a result, rainfall is more erratic than before. In addition to drought, Nepal has experienced heavier than usual rainfall this year, resulting in devastating floods.
The family carries irrigation water from a river about two hundred meters away, even though there is a water pump in the yard.
The pump was installed as part of a larger regional irrigation project. It was intended to improve water access in remote villages like Taranga by pumping water from the Bheri River using electricity generated by solar power. Taranga has been waiting five years for solar power to be installed.
Raj Ale Magar, 5, climbs on a branch of the mango tree in the yard.
Drinking water carried from the river
The scent of the clear, rushing Bheri River brings to mind a Finnish lake landscape. The family’s children rush to swim. Today, only a few tiddlers are caught in the nets, which the children release back into the river.
Children pour water into a larger plastic barrel in their backyard. The water is used for cooking and drinking.
“Drinking water has to be fetched every four days,” Sabitri says, pouring a drop of water into the spice mixture that she grinds between stones from fresh mint, chili, and small tomatoes.
Fetching water from the Bheri River, which flows a few hundred meters from the home, is the job of the family’s children. From left: Maya (11), Simra (10), and Raj (5).
Maya Ale Magar, 11, is an experienced water carrier for her age. In the village of Taranga in rural Nepal, there is no electricity, and without electricity, water cannot be pumped from the river for domestic use or irrigation.
The Bheri River is a tributary of the Karnal River, Nepal’s longest river that originates in the mountains. The river’s strong flow is being harnessed for electricity generation in rural Nepal.
Carrying water is a child’s job in the village of Taranga, on the banks of the Bheri River. Maya Ale Magar, 11, carries a water barrel to her home on a hill about two hundred meters away.
Climate change is separating families
Drought doesn’t just affect food production and livelihoods. It tears families apart.
“When it doesn’t rain and there are no crops, people go elsewhere to work. Because of the drought, we can’t live together as a family,” says Sabitri.
Dhansara Ale and Sabitri Gurung Ale.
Her husband works in Malaysia, her father-in-law in India.
“We used to live happily together. I haven’t seen my husband for almost a year and I miss him,” Sabitri says.
Sabitri and Dhansara’s families have lived in the region for decades. In recent years, the families have been learning about new farming methods that help them adapt to climate change in a project funded by the Finnish and German Foreign Ministries and the European Union. The project is implemented by FCA together with the German development agency GiZ.
“We now have the knowledge and skills we need. But that’s of no use if we lack water,” says Sabitri.
Outside the courtyard cattle nestle under trees, resting in the midday heat. For Hindus and Buddhists, cattle are sacred animals that are not slaughtered for food. Their milk is still good for sweet, spicy tea. Sabitri also pours thick, fatty milk into the cauldron of onions, cabbage, and cooked potatoes. The cauldron smells of turmeric, chili, and garlic. Lunch is soon ready.
Time to eat! Birds and goats are slaughtered for food in rural Nepal, mainly for guests and celebrations. In the village of Taranga, self-sufficiency is a lifeline for families.
Hunger is a brutal weapon – wars in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza significantly undermine global food security
Food should not be used as a tool of war, yet conflicts affect people’s access to sufficient and nutritious food. In recent years, alongside local challenges, the world has witnessed a unique phenomenon: the war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has affected food security worldwide.
Text: Ulriikka Myöhänen
Critical food aid lifelines into northern Gazasevered Starvation in war-hit Sudan ‘almost everywhere’. Russian missiles hit two grain ships in the Black Sea.
THESE HEADS ARE EXCERPTS from the international media and UN agencies in September-October 2024. A quick glance at the news will tell you a few important things:
Firstly, war always affects the food supply of ordinary people. Secondly, even in today’s wars, the control of food and its associated resources is the weapon which affects civilians the most.
The actions behind the headlines – such as bombing, destruction of farmland and water resources, and sabotage of food shipments – are horrific acts not only from the perspective of civilians struggling in the midst of conflicts, but also because they strongly undermine the international rules-based order.
International humanitarian law is a set of rules that seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict. It clearly states that starvation of civilians is absolutely prohibited as a method of warfare. It is also forbidden to attack objects that are essential to the survival of the civilian population. These may include food, grain fields, crops, livestock, water supplies and irrigation systems.
The rules of war are constantly being violated. In 2024, we still live in a world where children are starving to death, missiles and rockets are destroying food supplies, and food aid is not reaching civilians living in the midst of devastating conflict.
In developing regions, wars are often fought in areas that already suffer from a lack of adequate food and livelihoods, such as limited pasture and cropland. Food and disputes over food can therefore be both a tool of warfare and a cause of conflict.
Food is a human right
THE RIGHT TO FOOD is a right of every human being.
According to the World Food Summit held in 1996, food security is achieved when “all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.”
There are four main dimensions to food security. Food must be available: it must grow in fields and be stored. To achieve food security, people must also have access to food. In other words, they must be able to buy or produce food for themselves and their families.
In addition to being available, food must be nutritious and varied so thatpeople’s energy and nutrient needs are met. The fourth dimension is the stability or permanence offoodsecurity. Good quality and nutritious food must be available from day to day and people must have access to it for an individual to be considered food secure. Political instability, extreme weather conditions, rising prices and unemployment can all affect stability around food security.
Up to a third of the world’s food ends up as waste
TODAY, FOOD SECURITY is not achieved for everyone, even to the extent that food is available at all. According to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), one in 11 people in the world and one in five on the African continent will go hungry in 2023 – this despite the fact that the world produces more food than people can eat.
It is estimated that at least a fifth or even a third of the food produced goes to waste. In rich countries, too much food is bought and then left uneaten. In the poorest countries, food is wasted already at harvest time due to inadequate storage facilities and markets.
The past few years have been exceptional in terms of the deterioration of global food security. This is due to the Covid pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Coronavirus began spreading around the world from the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. The viral disease, which became a pandemic in the spring of 2020, closed borders and significantly limited people’s interactions and daily life.
The pandemic had an impact on nutrition, food security and food systems, i.e. the whole that consists of food production, processing, distribution and consumption.
Covid also had a significant impact on food chains, i.e. how raw materials end up on people’s tables through processing, handling, distribution and sale. The effects were global due to the lockdowns and restrictions during the pandemic and the sickening of those working in the sector.
Additionally, the pandemic also forced people to change their eating habits, as informal markets that often sold cheap vegetables to families, especially in developing countries, were closed due to restrictions on gatherings. Social programs that helped the poor could no longer provide food assistance in the same way as before.
Many lost their livelihoods, which meant that families had less money to buy food. At the same time, as the pandemic progressed, food prices rose significantly.
Illustration: Julia Tavast
In Ukraine, the war has turned fields into minefields
In 2022, the world was hit by a new global crisis, this time starting on the European continent. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has proven how interconnected the world we live in is.
Ukraine is a major European breadbasket, with agricultural products reaching tables around the world in recent years. The country is located on the Black Sea, through which significant amounts of grain, cooking oil and fertilizers are transported to the world.
When the war began, Russian warships in the Black Sea blockaded Ukrainian ports, thus closing trade routes. Energy and fuel prices rose. Food exports from Ukraine to the world suffered significantly before transport across the Black Sea was restored, at least partially, and alternative routes were found for Ukrainian agricultural products through European countries.
Ukrainians have lost their fertile farmland to invading forces, and the fields have become minefields. The fields themselves and the crops they grow have been completely destroyed in some places. Those who still farm are struggling to grow crops in the midst of war. There is a shortage of electricity due to ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure.
Transporting food from farms to international consumers has become significantly more difficult due to closed trade routes, ongoing security threats, and increased transportation costs.
The war in Ukraine and its impact on food security have been felt across the world, from Central America to the Middle East and Asia. The war caused global food prices to reach record highs in March 2022, but have since fallen to pre-pandemic levels.
The Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine have been visible on family dinner tables around the world. But think about this: many people in the developed world buy a bag of highly processed bread from a store, the price of which consists of the shares received by the producer, the food industry and the store, as well as VAT. The share of raw materials – and the price change that has occurred due to the global market – is ultimately just a small everyday expense in our breakfast rolls.
In poorer countries, instead of buying ready-made rolls, people buy a big bag of raw materials, grain, from which they grind flour at home, for example, for a month’s needs. The price of wheat on the world market is reflected more painfully in the monthly expenses of a low-income family and also in the price of breakfast bread than in richer families.
Attacks on grain ships and food production continue in Ukraine
Despite the rules of war, Russia has used food as a weapon of war in Ukraine repeatedly, forcefully, and for a long time.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for almost three years, and yet attacks on grain ships, grain warehouses and food production continue. Although markets have managed to at least partially compensate for the lack of Ukrainian products on world markets, the war is already having, and will continue to have, long-term effects on food security.
The effects have already hit those who were already most hungry. As prices have risen, organizations have also had fewer food aid resources at their disposal. This means that fewer and fewer families dependent on food aid in crises around the world are getting enough food on their plates.
FAO predicts that up to 600 million people will be chronically malnourished in 2030. If the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine had not happened, there would be up to 119 million fewer people undernourished in 2030. The war in Ukraine alone affects the forecast by 23 million people. Chronic malnutrition is hitting Africa hard, where people are already living in famine.
Illustration: Julia Tavast
Hunger is being used as a weapon against civilians in Gaza and Sudan
THE LAST few years have brought turbulence to the big picture of food security, but there are also many regional and local crises in the world today that are significantly undermining food security.
Of all of them, the most difficult has received the least attention. More than half of Sudan’s population – 25 million people – will be acutely food insecure when the country enters civil war in 2023.
A famine has already been declared in the North Darfur region, which is also home to a camp for 500 000 internally displaced people. International organisations agree that hunger is currently the main cause of suffering among Sudanese civilians.
The warring factions in Sudan are also using hunger as a weapon of war. According to reports, the conflict parties are severely destabilising food systems, causing mass displacement and systematically destroying livelihoods. The parties are alsoblocking food aid from reaching the opposing territories.
The situation is also very serious in Gaza, where civilians are not getting enough food due to continuous airstrikes. Israel is also severely restricting the adequate access of food aid to Gaza.
There are also reports that food aid reaching the Gaza Strip has been looted. Israel blames the looting on Hamas, the Islamist extremist organization that controls Gaza. Organising food aid is currently difficult, also because Gaza is under constant bombardment and evacuation orders, and it is not possible to organize food storage and distribution safely.
It has long been known that Gaza is in a food security emergency that could soon turn into an outright famine. In October 2024, three-quarters of the population of the Gaza Strip is completely dependent on food aid, the limited farmland has been destroyed by bombing, and food supplies on the market are scarce and, as a result, very expensive.
How will food security be restored?
THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMMEestimates that there are now as many as 71 countries facing acute hunger. The situation is most serious in Sudan and Gaza, but hunger is also seen in countries such as South Sudan and Mali. The hunger crisis has also been prolonged in Somalia, which first suffered from a historically long drought and then from rains that have caused devastating floods in the country.
In addition to conflicts and economic shocks, climate change is a significant factor increasing food insecurity. Conflicts, lack of livelihoods and climate change, in turn, force people to leave their homes. The cycle repeats, as displacement also significantly increases human food insecurity.
So what can be done to ensure that everyone has bread on their plate in the future? The most informed guesses emphasise cooperation; in which governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and sectors responsible for humanitarian work and development cooperation improve food security.
The importance of politics and diplomacy is key in order to end wars that have a devastating impact on the lives of civilians. The various parties must commit to complying with international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on food and civilians.
And finally, as the dust settles on the battlefields, it will be time to look to the future and think about how people will be able to return to their farms to produce food and earn a living.
The article uses as sources numerous press releases and web articles from the World Food Programme and OHCHR, the FAO’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 report, regional IPC reports on food security and the Impacts of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition report. In addition, Kaisa Karttunen, a working life professor at the University of Helsinki who specialises in food security, was interviewed for the article.
In one of the world’s largest swamps, livelihoods must be constantly adapted to the realities on the ground. Through an EU-funded project, FCA are supporting fishermen to increase their catches and incomes.
Text: Björn Udd Photos: Antti Yrjönen
IN A CANOE that looks very much like a hollowed-out tree trunk, a gangly man is kneeling in the bow and paddling. He moves smoothly along the shore, handling his long net. Occasionally, and with a small smile, he picks up a fish, pulling it out of the mesh and putting it behind him in the canoe. The fish is the family’s income and food.
Kuol Puoth Thiew says he has been fishing since he was a small child. He grew up in Old Fangak, a town in northern South Sudan, located in the incredible swamp landscape formed by the White Nile. The al-Sudd Swamp is one of the largest in the world and has often been affected by extreme weather conditions. During the rainy season, the whole area is flooded and during the dry season the temperature can rise up to 45 degrees.
Mr Thiew moved to the nearby town of New Fangak with his two wives and nine children so that his children could go to school. Thiew himself finished school after the fifth grade, but wants his children to have an opportunity to get an education.
“I wanted my children to have a better future than mine. That’s why we moved here,” says the soft-spoken Thiew.
Khuol Phuot Thiew’s dream is to buy his own canoe. For now, he borrows or rents his canoe from fellow fishermen.
The income he receives from fishing is largely used to pay his children’s school fees. The nine children are aged between 3 and 25, and the two oldest have already moved away to the capital Juba to study at university – that’s more than a week’s boat journey away.
“My children going to school gives me hope for the future. That’s why I work hard to support them,” says Thiew.
THIEW LEAVES the riverbank at sunrise. Then he goes out with the canoe to scour the nets. In addition to fish, the waters are home to crocodiles, poisonous snakes and hippos. But Thiew still feels safe in his canoe.
“I’ve never been bitten. If a snake looks like it wants to attack, I just turn the canoe round and paddle away.”
If Thiew gets going early in the morning, he can catch 30-50 fish, usually perch-related Nile tilapia and mudfish, a particularly fast-growing fish that can weigh up to 7 kilos after just one month alive.
The fishing waters around New Fangak contain good numbers of fish.
“I sell the fish for 500-1000 South Sudanese pounds. So on a good day I can earn 30,000-50,000 (around €20-30), which goes towards the family’s daily expenses and the children’s school fees,” says Thiew.
Fish that is not purchased is eaten by the family.
“We all like fish, it has a lot of protein.”
The family also has a small garden and some cattle he bought with the income from fishing. Previously, the family had more cattle, but they died during heavy flooding. The recurrent floods and drought also make it difficult to grow crops, but for now the family still gets some food from the garden.
Fish provides both a good income and food for the family. It is a good source of protein in an area where many have lost their livestock.
IF THERE is fish left over, Thiew dries it to sell later. He learned this at a course organised by FCA’s European Union Humanitarian Aid-funded project last year. During the course, the fishermen learnt the best ways of laying and placing nets. The fishermen also received new, durable nets.
“The nets are very good. They have been very useful.”
Thiew would like to increase his catch, but at the moment it is difficult. He doesn’t own his own canoe, but borrows one from a fellow fisherman. Most of the time he can borrow the canoe for free, but sometimes – when his colleague is short of money – he pays a small rent. But his dream is to buy his own canoe.
“Then I could go deeper into the swamp, where there are more fish. I could make 2-3 day trips and increase my catch and income,” says Thiew.
There is hope even amid multiple crises – our latest report shows over 1 million people were supported through our work
2022 WAS A YEAR OF CRISES that shook and challenged our worldview and affected us on many levels, perhaps more deeply than anything else ever before.
Crises always lead to a great deal of suffering, and no matter the causes, and no matter where in the world we are, we all feel the impact.
People are starting to question the rules we play by. Long-simmering discontent is boiling over. The world is changing; but listening to discussions – not only between experts, but also ordinary Finns – I believe it is changing for good.
Lviv Railway Station, March 11, 2022. Photo: Antti Yrjönen
For Finn Church Aid, 2022 was a year of changes. Just a few years earlier, we had discontinued our European operations, thinking our work there was done. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 changed everything overnight, and for much longer than we anticipated.
Thanks to unprecedented support from Finnish people, Finn Church Aid was able to quickly mobilise programme work in the country. In no time at all, a country office and one of our organisation’s biggest aid programmes were up and running.
Despite their own sense of shock and disbelief, people wanted to help. Individuals, businesses, churches and public authorities were ready and willing to give money and their time to support people in Ukraine.
Collecting donations for Ukrainian refugees in early March 2022. Photo: Saara Mansikkamäki
By the end of February 2023, our partner Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) reached 275,860 people in the humanitarian response supported by FCA. Our country office’s work focused mainly on education and reached 18,400 people in Ukraine already in 2022.
What happens in Ukraine also has repercussions for our activities elsewhere, including in Africa. The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in decades and our local employees, particularly in Kenya and Somalia, are fighting it on a daily basis.
Cereals from Ukraine used to be a major part of the region’s food security, but the war stopped grain shipments, causing an acute food crisis and rapid inflation in a region suffering from various challenges.
Hamin 25 walks one hour to the nearest water borehole in Marsabit county, Kenya. The ongoing drought has worsened the already rising food prices. Photo: Björn Udd
Meanwhile, our efforts to build long-term development cooperation are hampered by the ruling military junta in Myanmar, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and the impacts of the climate crisis.
What this shows us above all, is that the work of Finn Church Aid is still needed. We can alleviate suffering and offer a ray of hope for many in times of despair.
In addition to the very tangible crises caused by war and disasters, we are facing a global political crisis. In times of crises, it is easy to withdraw mentally and physically; this is a natural protective mechanism and how we instinctively react to danger.
In Aleppo Finn Church Aid provided vital aid to those affected by the earthquake, including warm clothing and female hygiene kits. Photo: Ward Nassan Agha
But in today’s world, no one can make it alone – this is what the crises mentioned above have shown us. We need others. We must learn to work together.
At its essence, this involves recognising the needs of others and acting for the common good – within and beyond Finland’s borders.
It is fair to ask if there is hope left in this world? To answer that, I want to bring your attention to things we can do with your support.
George returned to Boru Haro Village School after being absent for 10 days, due to helping his parents fetch food and water. Photo Björn Udd
We can help children and youth go to school and learn, we can provide water to those who are thirsty and food to those who are hungry, we can offer asylum for refugees and strive for those who have no livelihood.
In all crises, human response is of key importance. With the support of our donors, we supported over one million beneficiaries in 2022. We have been able to empower people living amidst crises to take action to improve their lives.
When your whole fortune dries up. The two-year drought has taken everything from the pastoralists of northern Kenya
East Africa is struggling through an unprecedented drought. Since October 2020, four consecutive rainy seasons have failed, and the fifth seems to fail as well. In northern Kenya, the nomadic population has lost all of their property, meaning cattle, which has traditionally been by far the most popular investment in the region. The situation can be compared to a total collapse of the stock exchange in Finland. Lives are in danger, too.
SHEDO ISACKO ROBA, 25, started her journey to the nearest borehole with her friends yesterday. The distance is approximately 40 kilometres, and the young woman, familiar with the conditions of the journey, covers it in a couple of days. There is no water in Shedo Isacko’s home village, Gareru in the north of Kenya.
Washing the sand and dust out of the clothes is not easy. To get access to water Shedo Isacko Roba, 25, has to walk 40 kilometers. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Shedo Isacko knows how much hardship the failure of the rainy seasons causes in the lives of the locals.
“For the past two years I’ve come here to get water and look for food for my children,” she says whilst washing her laundry at the well.
The clothes are so covered in sand dust that the water instantly turns brown, and they need to be rinsed several times.
After finishing her load of laundry, Shedo Isacko fills up her worn-out yellow plastic jugs with water and ties them on a donkey’s back for the way home. 40 litres of water is enough for a family of five for two days, but due to the drought, Isacko can’t find enough food.
“We share what we can get between us. Sometimes we have food, sometimes we don’t. Life is tough.”
The cattle perish first – then the people
Isacko’s family lives a nomadic life, just like most people in the region. The drought has killed most of the family’s livestock. Shedo Isacko mourns not only for the lost property but also for what’s ahead.
“I’m afraid there will be no more rain. When the cattle have already died as a result of drought, we’ll soon be losing human lives. That’s what scares me.”
According to official figures, by the beginning of November no-one has died directly due to the ongoing drought or food shortage. In neighbouring Somalia, the situation is several steps ahead: based on a UN report, thousands of people had died by mid-October and half a million people are at risk of death. In the Marsabit region in northern Kenya, health officials are extremely concerned about the direction of development.
“At the moment, the deaths in the region aren’t directly caused by malnutrition, but they are strongly linked. Many deaths, particularly among the elderly, are caused by illnesses that hit undernourished people,” says Bokayo Arero, the director of nutrition at the Marsabit health department.
The pastoralists of Marsabit in Northern Kenya are severely affected by the droughts. Since the drought began in 2020 the working water supplies are further and further away, and a lot of livestock has died from lack of food and water. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Undernourished people are more likely to contract pneumonia, diarrhoea, and tuberculosis. The elderly, children, pregnant women, and disabled people are in a particularly vulnerable position. According to a health screening conducted in October, 92 percent of the surveyed children under the age of five in Marsabit were malnourished, and approximately half of them had received urgent treatment.
Especially in the case of children, malnutrition leads to serious, life-long consequences.
“Both physical and mental development suffer from malnutrition,” Bokayo Arero emphasises.
Food shortage also puts people under mental strain. Those whose entire property dries up can suffer from mental health issues.
“The population here is completely dependent on their livestock. There have even been a few reports of suicides being committed, when people notice that they have nothing left,” notes Bokay Arero.
Malnutrition affects the grades of the students negatively and a lot of learners stay at home because of hunger. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Hungry children have trouble learning
The drought and the resulting food shortage have an impact on schooling, too. A few dried-up trees stand in the schoolyard of the Boru Haro village school, and the most energetic of the children are playing in the shade. The rest of the pupils sit and rest under the roofs of the building.
The principal Wako Salesa Dambi says that the drought and lack of food make children stay home instead of coming to school. The pupils who do come to school tend to be tired, and staying focused in class can be difficult.
Headmaster Wako Salesa would like to provide food for his students, but currently that is not possible. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
“Even just for the sake of humanity, I think it’s important that the basic needs of the pupils are met. If their tummies are full, they listen, learn, and do their homework,” Wako Salesa points out.
Previously the state supported school lunches, but currently there’s no support available. After the elections in August, the resources are scarce, as the resulting transfer of power has brought financial transactions between the state and the local government almost to a standstill.
A school lunch is an important meal for children and a reason to come to school for many. Particularly younger students are likely to stay at home, if they haven’t had anything to eat the night before.
12-year-old George Guyo has returned to school after being absent for 10 days. Now he sits in the front row learning how to read a clock.
“My parents haven’t got money for food, so I can’t come to school. When I don’t get enough food, my health gets worse.”
12-year-old George Guyo was absent from school for ten days because of lack of food. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
George Guyo can clearly tell how hunger makes it more difficult to go to school, and his learning results deteriorate.
“When I’m hungry, I think about food all the time, and I can’t focus in class.”
“My biggest wish is that there would be enough food for us children and that we’d be able to maintain a balanced diet.”
In December in Kenya, a national exam will be held to students finishing primary school. The result of the exam determines which secondary school the pupil will continue in. Wako Salesa fears that the results will be negatively impacted by the food shortage.
“Getting a good exam result will be difficult for the children who’ve had to skip breakfast and lunch. It would be great if we could offer food for the pupils, but it seems impossible. The parents are currently so poor that they can’t afford to pack a lunch for their kids,” says Wako Salesa.
“This two-year drought is completely exceptional”
One of the main reasons to the poverty in the region is that the majority of cattle has either died or in such a dire shape that it’s lost its value. Previously, a cow would be sold for 20 000 Kenyan shillings, or approximately 160 euros. Now, a cow is worth as little as 500 shillings, or four euros, as the livestock is in bad condition and many people are simultaneously trying to sell their animals to the butcher.
Locally, the situation is comparable to a total market crash. Traditionally, the nomadic population has invested its entire wealth in livestock.
50-year-old Elema Gufu Sharamu has, in his words, been a nomad since he was born. He has brought his caravan of camels to drink from the well repaired by Finn Church Aid. He used to have plenty of cows and goats, but most of them have died because of the food shortage caused by the drought.
Elema Gufu Sharamu has been a pastoralist all of his life. He used to invest his profits in livestock, but now most of his cows and sheep have died. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
“There have been dry periods previously, but this two-year drought is completely exceptional. The circumstances have led to grass not growing, and there’s nothing for the animals to eat.”
As a nomad, Elema Gufu is used to being on the move. It takes him eight hours to walk to the nearest bore well.
“This well is really important to us. If it didn’t exist, we’d have to travel even further.”
Sharamu’s family comprises of two wives and nine children. He used to be able to easily provide for them all, but the situation has changed.
“I take cattle to the market and sell it there, but the prices have dropped dramatically. I haven’t got enough money for food, and sometimes we must skip lunch. It feels bad not to have enough food for my family.”
In Marsabit a lot of the livestock has perished. The livestock that is still alive is in very bad shape, resulting in the price of livestock dwindling. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Currently Elema Gufu Sharamu borrows food from his neighbours, which isn’t a sustainable solution. He’s afraid for his family.
“If this drought continues and the rest of my cattle dies, we too will die. I have no other option. I can’t read, and I won’t be able to get another job. There’s nothing for me in the city.”
The health officials of Marsabit have noticed that parts of the population are drifting towards towns and cities. The director of health Bokayo Arero deems this problematic.
“I don’t think it’s a good survival mechanism. There really isn’t enough work for even those who already live near the cities. Now, an entire family might move to live with a young man working a day job at a construction site. A single income simply isn’t sufficient.”
Conflicts in the area escalate
However, sometimes circumstances force people to move close to population centres. In Marsabit, there are tensions between tribes that every now and then spew out for various reasons. A year ago, the home of Biftu Boroyani’s family was burned in clashes. The family of four used to live in a house of their own, had a small allotment that provided them with enough food, and a few goats.
Biftu Boroyani recieved cash transfers from FCA. She used it to buy food and pay the tuition for her children. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
“When I lived there, I was able to live in peace. I felt no stress. We used to make a good living from our plot.”
Now the family has had to come up with new ways to make a living. Biftu Boroyani’s husband is working in construction. When they have enough food at home, Biftu cooks a larger batch at once and sells it to the nearby construction workers.
“Recently it’s been difficult for both of us to find work opportunities. Because of the drought and lack of money few people are building right now, so making money is hard.”
Because of the difficult situation, Biftu Boroyani used to be able to offer food for the family only once a day. She was stressed out when she noticed how hunger made her children too tired to play.
Now the Boroyani family has received a cash allowance from Finn Church Aid. The 74-euro allowance is given in three consecutive months directly to a mobile phone in mobile money. Biftu Boroyani has received the first instalment, which she spent on food and school fees. Although food is scarce, Biftu Boroyani thinks that the children’s education is at least just as important.
“If the children get a good education, they can get a good job and then support us later. That’s why I make sure the school fees are covered.”
Conflicts between tribes can even result in houses being burned to the ground in Marsabit, forcing people to leave their homes. Kuva: Björn Udd / FCA
Although the first part of the allowance was spent on food and education, Biftu hopes to be able to use the coming instalments on establishing a small business. She’s planning on buying basic supplies from the city and then selling them near her home.
However, Biftu is still scared that the drought will drag on.
“I can only pray for the rain to come.”
Text and photos: Björn Udd
The prolonged drought in Northern Kenya has resulted in a lack of access to water. Here a group of women were washing their clothes at a borehole in October. Goats are better equipped to deal with drought and lake of grazing opportunities than cattle, but even the goats have started to perish now. Kuva: Björn Udd / FCA
Some of us have enough food to waste, others have hardly any; and many do have food, but it isn’t sufficiently nutritious. We made a list of 10+1 things that affect the future of our food production.
1. There is plenty of food – in theory.
There is both hunger and overabundance in the world. Currently, the food that is produced globally would be enough for everyone, if only it were evenly distributed. Although there are immense differences between regions when it comes to resources for food production, in the grand scheme of things the problem lies not in insufficient food production but our dysfunctional and unfair food system.
2. Climate change forces us to rethink food production.
Climate change has led to extended droughts, longer and more intense storms, and other types of extreme weather, all of which affect farming and crops. Hence, both emission reduction and climate change adaptation are imperative. The food system in itself is a significant source of emissions, so we need to think carefully about the ways in which we can cut emissions in farming and logistics as well as food waste.
3. Conflicts lead to empty farms and plates.
The war in Ukraine has proven how many developing countries are dependent on the affordable grain produced in Ukraine and Russia. However, conflicts disrupt food production, deliveries and sales all over the world. When violence forces people to flee their homes, they often leave behind their farms and their means of livelihood. Climate change reduces resources, which will cause further conflicts in the future.
4. Unbalanced production is a threat to biodiversity.
Approximately two thirds of the world’s farmland are used to cultivate only nine plant species, although there are thousands of options to choose from. Intensive production depletes the soil and increases the risk of plant diseases and pests. A much better way is to vary between different strains and follow the principles of agroecology and sustainable development in food production.
5. Rising proces and inflation hit the middle classes.
The price of food and inflation have risen so high that, together with energy price rises, even the middle classes end up counting coins. The situation is a downright disaster for the poor, who were already living from hand to mouth. However, food corporations and their owners are getting richer. Some think that the situation should be changed through political means, for example by taxing extreme wealth and the immense profits of corporations; but this isn’t as straightforward as it might sound, as many food giants are multinational.
6. Food is supposed to nourish.
A key issue in the future of food production and the functionality of the food system is nutritional content: food must be healthy and nourishing. It makes zero sense to produce immense amounts of food items that are by no measure the best when it comes to nutrition. At the moment, unhealthy food is often cheaper than healthy alternatives. A better diet would not only make us healthier but it would also help reduce emissions.
7. Towards a plant-based diet?
Particularly in the industrialised world, people consume far too much meat and other animal products. Transitioning to a plant-based diet would help solve health problems, reduce emissions, and diversify the use of soil. However, vegetarian food might not be a suitable option in all situations. For nomads, for example, animal products might be the only source of protein.
8. We must end food waste.
According to the UN, almost half of fruit and vegetables produced globally end up in waste, as does approximately a third of all food. The amount of food waste and refuse equals hundreds of billions of euros every year. Although we’ll never do away with all food waste entirely, even small acts can help reduce it significantly from its current levels.
9. Support your local.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have shown the dangers of being overly dependent on global value chains. Diverse and smaller-scale food production could improve food security for local populations, bring about opportunities to safeguard biodiversity, as well as offer local communities ways to make a living.
10. Innovations and technologies exist already.
To respond to the challenges in food production we don’t need disruptive technologies or entirely new methods, as a wide range of practical measures is already at our disposal. Instead of future technologies, we can look at the past and learn from the ways previous generations used in cultivating land. An agroecological approach helps improve the resilience of communities and supports local farmers.
+1: FCA Supporst livelihoods with cash allowances.
In many places there is food available, but the prices have risen beyond what the poorest can afford. Finn Church Aid helps those struggling with food security by, for example, offering cash allowances that families can use to purchase food. FCA also supports education and independent livelihoods with entrepreneurship training.
Interviewees and sources: human advocacy advisor Merja Färm at Finn Church Aid, research manager and senior scientist Mila Sell at Natural Resources Institute Finland, FAO reportsThinking about the future of food safety and The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, Oxfam report Fixing Our Food: Debunking 10 myths about the global food system and what drives hunger, and Global Food Policy -reports by CGIAR.
