How To Prepare For A Global Food Shortage (2022)

What Is Causing the Food Crisis?

As we navigate through 2023, the world continues to grapple with a food shortage of unprecedented proportions. According to the World Food Programme, the number of individuals facing acute food insecurity has surged to 345 million across 79 countries. This crisis, fueled by conflict, climate shocks, and the lingering effects of COVID-19, has been further exacerbated by geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine.

Climate Change

While we may not be seeing some of the most dire effects of climate change just yet, there’s no question that droughts, flooding, and extreme weather of all sorts are on the rise.

From tourism, like Venice flooding and sinking, to wildfires ravaging across the west coast of the United States, climate change is affecting every area of our lives. The food industry is no different.

Look no further than two of the US’s leading farm regions, the Midwestern corn belt, and California’s central valley, to see the effects already being felt.

In California, extreme drought conditions are making it nearly impossible for farmers to produce as much as they once did. This region is one of our top producers of vegetables, berries, nuts, and dairy, so we could be in trouble if the problem isn’t rectified soon.

In the Midwest, they’re experiencing the opposite problem. Increasing floods and “gully washers” are stripping away the precious topsoil needed to produce corn. The region produces about 75% of the nation’s corn supply, and since the Europeans first colonized the area, it has already lost about 35% of its topsoil.

These problems are being experienced worldwide as this global crisis continues to develop and expand. And it’s likely that some of the damage done can’t be corrected quickly, possibly leading to global food shortage problems for years to come.

Cyberattacks

You probably heard about last year’s ransomware attack on JBS, the world's biggest meatpacker. The company eventually paid cybercriminals $11 million to get things back up and running, but that’s hardly the end of the story.

The food industry is now coming to terms with its vulnerabilities to cyberattacks. The problem is that so much of our food supply comes from just a few companies, and many of them haven’t prioritized cybersecurity, leaving the entire supply chain vulnerable.

Labor shortages

The pandemic exposed many problems in our economy, and one of the most lasting seems to be a labor shortage. The problem is far-reaching, affecting nearly every piece of the supply chain, from pickers to packers, transportation to retail to restaurants.

The jobs seeing the worst shortages seem to be those with less desirable working conditions. Since farm labor is often dangerous and back-breaking work and packaging plants aren’t much better, it’s no surprise that the labor shortage is causing problems for our food supply.

Another major factor is that most fresh foods are perishable, meaning that any delay in transportation can lead to spoilage. Crates of meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables have been left sitting in a shipping container because there aren’t enough drivers to move them to their destination. In some cases, the food needed to remedy this situation is literally being thrown away.

Scarce packaging materials

Finally, a concern that most people are likely not even thinking about in the food industry, a shortage of packaging supplies is causing further problems. The labor shortages that impact foods are also causing problems for materials producers.

Paper, plastic, glass, and other common materials used to package our favorite foods are all currently in short supply. Without these supplies, packaging plants can’t operate the way they’re supposed to, and products don’t make it onto grocery store shelves.