Story Spark: Food Insecurity
Climate change’s greatest impact for many vulnerable people, particularly in lower income countries, will be food insecurity and under-nutrition. As climate impacts worsen, heatwaves, drought, and floods are increasingly affecting agriculture.
An estimated 650 million people faced hunger last year, with an additional 50 million more anticipated to face severe starvation by the end of 2027 due to a historic El Niño posing “a massive threat to the food security of millions.” Given that a previous El Niño caused widespread crop devastation and rampant hunger throughout southern Africa about a decade ago, many are concerned about food security in the region — especially as this year’s climate disasters and the rising costs of fertilizer due to the Iran war further complicate this growing concern.
In the US, nearly one in eight households face food insecurity, which means food is not available, affordable, and/or nutritious. Climate change further complicates each of these factors. Rising heat and shifting precipitation patterns lower yields, and sometimes completely destroy an entire season’s worth of food. This climatic strain is increasing the costs of groceries, making access to food more difficult, particularly for those who once relied on federal benefits cut by the current administration. In addition to extreme weather disrupting access to fresh, nutritious food, studies have shown that higher carbon dioxide levels reduce iron, zinc, and protein in staple crops like wheat and rice.
Reporting should highlight these complexities, showing that while climate change is rarely the only contributing factor, it often acts as a threat multiplier. For example, while climate change drives food insecurity, industrial agriculture and food systems emit significant greenhouse gases, which are warming the planet. Studies estimate that agriculture is responsible for 25–35% of global emissions. Solutions, including climate resilient crops, sustainable farming practices, and investing in local and regional food infrastructure, are vital for showing that this issue — with local and global implications — is a solvable one.
– David Dickson, CCNow
Expert Tips
This edition’s tips come to you from Danielle Nirenberg, the co-founder and president of Food Tank, a nonprofit focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters.
Get out of the office. Food insecurity can look very different from what statistics or reports suggest. Talk to farmers, food workers, school nutrition directors, food bank staff, and people with lived experience — some of the most insightful stories come from listening before deciding what the story looks like.
Follow the food system. Hunger is rarely just about one person’s lack of food. Look upstream: What are farmers being paid? Who owns the land? Are markets accessible? What does healthy food cost? In addition to climate, how are conflict, transportation, labor, and policy shaping what people can grow, sell, buy, and eat?
Report on solutions. We shouldn’t just report on what’s wrong. Look for the farmers, researchers, businesses, policymakers, and communities testing solutions. But don’t treat every innovation as a silver bullet. Ask who benefits from a proposed solution, who was involved in creating it, whether it can scale, and whether it addresses the underlying problem.
Stories We Like
- With food programs stretched thin amid federal cuts, Georgia hunters take aim at rural hunger, WABE reports.
- The Guardian highlights how this summer’s extensive, record-breaking heatwave has devastated crops across Asia — including potatoes that have seemingly “boiled in the ground” in South Korea.
- Stronger heatwaves, floods, droughts, and bushfires are taking a toll on Australia’s food systems. But as The Conversation examines, these climate issues are just one part of a larger, interconnected problem impacting food security on the continent.
- In Arkansas, which has the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation, a grassroots community effort works to maintain food access, Civil Eats reports.
- DeSmog unpacks how farmed fish in European supermarkets undermines food security in West Africa.
Resources
- Are universities in your area tackling this issue? Learn about the Climate Food Insecurity Lab at the Grantham Institute, the Bristol Centre for Agricultural Innovation, and the Columbia Climate School’s Food for Humanity Initiative.
- Track food insecurity statistics at the state and county levels across the US through Feeding America’s interactive map.
- Read the latest UN IPCC Synthesis Report, which highlights how food systems must transform to adapt to climate change.
- Dig into the UN’s 2026 report examining the state of food security and nutrition in the world.
- Food prices are surging due to rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent weather extremes. Climate Central explains how — and has graphics to help bolster your reporting.
Experts & Sources
- Elizabeth Robinson, director, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
- Jen Burney, Professor in Global Environmental Policy and Earth System Science in the Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University
- Paul Winters, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Sustainable Development Keough School of Global Affairs at University of Notre Dame
- Jennifer Otten, associate professor, University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Science
Before We Go…
The next Locally Sourced will examine climate change’s impact on invasive species. As temperatures rise, nonnative animals, insects, and plants are spreading — threatening biodiversity and native ecosystems around the world. Have you reported on how climate change is driving the spread of invasive pests in your area? Send them to us at local[at]coveringclimatenow[dot]org. We’d love to consider them for the next edition of Locally Sourced and our media trainings and social platforms.
The South Atlantic Climate Journalism Hub (SAJCH). CCNow’s newest regional support project for journalists working in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware has its first meeting this week. There’s no cost to join or membership fees. Email david@coveringclimatenow.org with questions or to join.
Want more story ideas? Check out the Locally Sourced archive for more topics to explore, including AI data centers, coastal flooding, air transportation, and more.
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