The world is currently experiencing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. Conflict, climate extremes and poverty are among the primary drivers that have caused up to 319 million people across 67 countries to face chronic hunger.
What causes global hunger?
The world produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The issue isn’t supply—many of our global neighbors are unable to access nutritious food for themselves and their families due to challenges like extreme weather, food waste, conflict and gender.
Conflict is the primary driver of hunger in the world. In fact, 65% of the world’s hungriest people live in conflict zones, and 8 out of 10 of the world’s food crises are driven by war and persecution. Food insecurity worsens when conflict forces large numbers of people to flee their homes and livelihoods, and when it restricts access to life-saving assistance.
Communities around the world are also feeling the growing impact of climate change. The effects of changing climates, like drought or disasters, destroy crops and undermine a person’s ability to put food on the table for themselves and their families. Currently, over 80% of the world’s hungriest people live in disaster-prone areas, and over the last three decades, the number of extreme weather events has doubled.
Active conflicts and climate change can both cause food shortages and disrupt economic activities, the shocks of which further contribute to instability by driving up food prices in a dangerous cycle that forces many millions of people to go to sleep hungry. According to the World Food Program, in more than half of the countries experiencing conflict or natural disasters, economic shocks made the problem even worse, impacting 96 million people.
From Scarcity to Solutions
CWS walks alongside communities all around the globe to combat food insecurity. Read below to learn more about our work and the individuals who are adapting to these challenges.
Scroll through the images above to see program participants Oscar and Matisho in action
Through our programs in Honduras, individuals are not only learning how to grow food in sustainable ways, but are becoming leaders in their communities, ensuring that their neighbors also have the tools and knowledge to maintain food security. Oscar and his family are a few of the individuals who are improving their harvests, securing their food supply and building a brighter future.
Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania is home to over 140,000 refugees, making it difficult to ensure that all of its inhabitants have stable nutrition. Here, CWS invites individuals to partake in our sustainable gardening program, which provides refugees with the skills needed to grow their own food while simultaneously teaching invaluable lessons including leadership, gender equality and environmental protection. Matisho Justina is one of the participants of this program. She transformed her family’s future by planting fruit trees through the CWS Wezesha Project, bringing fresh food and self-reliance to her household and inspiring a wider movement of sustainable agriculture in her community.
Indigenous communities in Paraguay’s Bajo Chaco region are strengthening their resilience through sustainable farming, leadership development and climate adaptation. With support from CWS and local partners, families are overcoming challenges like drought while building a more secure future. Women leaders like Mariana Ayala are also building bonds within villages, elevating women’s leadership and creating a space for knowledge-sharing and mutual empowerment.
These three programs and individuals are just a snapshot of the work CWS is doing to combat hunger. By empowering our program participants and exploring solutions that address the root causes of hunger, we are committed to securing the right to a sustainable and nourishing food supply for every community across the globe.
To learn more about our work combating hunger, you can click here. Sign the 2025 Ecumenical Statement on Hunger Justice to commit to being a safety net for neighbors near and far who are facing hunger, or join your local CROP Hunger Walk and walk alongside your neighbors to help raise money for these life-saving programs