ertharin cousin

Global food crisis: when food isn't merely expensive

Global food crisis: when food isn't merely expensive

Shortages as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine have aggravated a pre-existing global food crisis that could push a billion people — most of them in the poorest parts of the world — into starvation. It's not just one thing: droughts, COVID-induced supply chain snarls, and high energy prices have all gotten us to this point. And it’ll get worse later on if we don’t find ways to future-proof global food systems. So, what are we gonna do about it? Several experts weighed in during the livestream discussion "Hunger Pains: The growing global food crisis," hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

If we don't act fast to help smallholder farmers, developing world might soon run low on food

If we don't act fast to help smallholder farmers, developing world might soon run low on food

Ertharin Cousin, former head of the UN's World Food Programme, doesn't like when people talk about the handoff between humanitarian response and development response. Why? Because that imperils those caught in between the two, such as smallholder farmers now barely survived the pandemic and are now struggling with the global food price crisis. Cousin says we must meet what she refers to as the "midterm" challenges so months from now we don't transition from "a food affordability crisis to a food availability crisis."

How Russia's war is starving the world: food expert Ertharin Cousin

GZERO World Clips

How Russia's war is starving the world: food expert Ertharin Cousin

Russia and Ukraine are agricultural powerhouses. Between the two they account for almost a third of the world's wheat exports. But the war and sanctions against Moscow have crippled their ability to feed the world. The war has created a perfect storm that wil lead to a global food price and supply crisis, according to Ertharin Cousin, former head of the UN World Food Programme, who spoke with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

Conundrum: Russian food can prevent starvation by the world's poor

GZERO World Clips

Conundrum: Russian food can prevent starvation by the world's poor

Russia's war in Ukraine has put the international community in a tough spot. Sanctions against Russia that affect global food commodities will make people go hungry, especially in the Global South. But then the Russians will continue to profit from selling all that food. So, who should make that call? Ertharin Cousin, who knows a thing or two about the United Nations because she used to run its World Food Programme, says it's time for the UN Security Council to step in.

A perfect storm of food insecurity: a problem for all of us

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

A perfect storm of food insecurity: a problem for all of us

Russia and Ukraine are agricultural powerhouses. But the war and sanctions against Moscow have crippled their ability to feed the world.Who's most at risk? Developing countries that rely on those imports. What will the impact be? The disruptions could double the number of people that went hungry due to the pandemic. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Ertharin Cousin, who knows a thing or two about food security since she used the run the UN World Food Programme.

The Ukraine war is crippling the world's food supply | GZERO World with Ian Bremmer podcast

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast

Podcast: The Ukraine war is crippling the world's food supply, says food security expert Ertharin Cousin

Listen: The Ukraine war and sanctions against Russia have created a perfect storm that will lead to a global food supply crisis, Ertharin Cousin, former head of the UN World Food Programme, tells Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World podcast. Russia and Ukraine account for almost a third of the world's wheat exports. All nations could be affected since these are global commodities, but developing countries that rely on those imports are most at risk. The disruptions could double the amount of people that went hungry during the pandemic, and since agriculture is a seasonal business, the worst may be yet to come.