Foreword
This report comes at a critical moment when the global community is confronting an era of unprecedented challenges to agrifood systems. The convergence of weather extremes, conflicts, economic shocks, and now the increasing frequency and severity of disasters threatens to prevent progress towards achieving Zero Hunger. This publication marks the second edition of FAO’s biennial flagship series on disasters, reflecting the Organization’s continued commitment to addressing these emerging threats. The evidence presented here is sobering: USD 3.26 trillion in agricultural losses over the past three decades, with annual damages increasing from USD 64 billion in the 1990s to USD 144 billion in recent years. These numbers reflect the struggles of billions of rural women and men whose livelihoods depend on agriculture.
The mandate entrusted to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) by its founding members – to defeat hunger, eliminate poverty and promote sustainable use of natural resources – has never been more relevant or more urgently needed. This report demonstrates that disasters are not merely disrupting food production; they are systematically undermining the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization and stability. As highlighted in this report, when disasters destroy 4.6 billion tonnes of cereals around the world over three decades, lead to critical losses of energy and nutrients from the global food supply, and have the potential to disproportionately impact the most vulnerable populations, they strike at the very heart of our mission.
What distinguishes this report is its comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing these challenges. We have mapped how the impacts of disasters cascade through infrastructure, markets and ecosystems to perpetuate vulnerability long after the immediate crisis passes. We have quantified not only the economic but also the nutritional impacts of disasters, and the consequential loss of energy and nutrients from the food supply. We have also shed light on the hidden impacts in fisheries and aquaculture, a sector that provides livelihoods for 500 million people yet remains largely absent from disaster assessments.
Most importantly, this report recognizes the significant advances in digital technologies that are transforming agrifood systems, and focuses on digital solutions as the central theme for the current edition. The evidence shows that every dollar invested in anticipatory action can generate seven dollars in benefits for rural families. Digital technologies are already revolutionizing how we monitor risks, deliver early warnings and support farmers’ decision-making. From the 9.1 million farmers now accessing parametric insurance through digital platforms to the communities using our early warning systems to evacuate 90 percent of at-risk populations before disasters strike, we are witnessing a fundamental shift from reactive response to proactive resilience-building.
Yet technology alone is not the only answer. This report emphasizes that successful transformation requires putting farmers and fishers at the centre – designing solutions with them, not for them. It entails bridging the digital divide that leaves 2.6 billion people offline. It requires building institutions, developing capacities and creating partnerships that transcend traditional boundaries.
The four betters that guide FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031 – better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life – cannot be achieved without addressing the disaster risks that threaten agriculture. This report contributes directly to FAO’s transformation agenda by providing the evidence base and practical solutions needed to build resilience at scale. It aligns with our Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the newly established Financing for Shock-Driven Food Crises (FSFC) Facility’s commitment to using the best available data and technologies to support the most vulnerable, and with our dedication to leaving no one behind.
The findings presented here call for urgent action from all stakeholders. Governments must integrate disaster risk reduction into agricultural policies and investments. The private sector must engage in partnerships that ensure equitable access to digital innovations. Development partners must shift resources from emergency response to anticipatory action and resilience-building. And the international community must recognize that investing in agricultural resilience is not a cost but a foundation for sustainable development, peace and prosperity.
As we work toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, time is running short. The window for building agrifood systems capable of feeding a growing global population while adapting to climate shocks is narrowing. Yet this report demonstrates that transformation is possible when knowledge, technology, and political will align with the wisdom and agency of farming communities.
I recommend this report to all who share our vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition. Let it serve not only as a comprehensive assessment of challenges but as a catalyst for the transformative action needed to ensure that agriculture can fulfil its fundamental role: nourishing humanity while stewarding the planet for future generations.
Qu Dongyu |
