'The potentially disastrous implications of the war in Ukraine for global food security are clear,' write PaulPolman, Agnes Kalibata and Shenggen Fan. 'The world does not need more dire warnings. The burning question is: what are we going to do?'
Fourth, beyond providing urgent humanitarian funding, we must give the poorest communities around the world the safety nets they need to get through this crisis, including in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
Last, the current crisis must catalyse an urgent transition to a stronger, more sustainable and equitable global food system for the long-term.
The conflict caught many off-guard; the food crisis need not. In a spirit of solidarity and collaboration we can strive to ensure nutritious food for all, even in the face of the current crisis and without pricing out the poorest, by empowering the agricultural communities who feed us and by building a system better equipped to withstand future shocks. The perils of the hour require moral leadership and foresight of the highest order from heads of state, business leaders, and society at large.