Global food security in a turbulent world: reviewing the impacts of the pandemic, the war and climate change
Scientific publication – July 2025
The recent open-access article titled “Global food security in a turbulent world: reviewing the impacts of the pandemic, the war and climate change” and coauthored by Donatella Saccone (UNISG – University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo) and Elena Vallino, within the framework of STAPLES Project (PRIMA Partnership Programme), reviews the recent empirical evidence on the channels along which each of the three shocks impacted food security, with a particular focus on its four sub-dimensions:
- food availability
- food access
- food utilisation
- food stability
How do simultaneous global crises affect food security
Food security has recently passed through profound systemic disruptions because of the simultaneous occurrence of the global pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and climate change. While climate-related shocks are expected to increase in the near future, high uncertainty persists on future pandemic events and armed conflicts. This persistency creates the need for a deep understanding of the concurrent and multiple effects of the three crises on global food security.
Key contributions are:
- an evidence-based guide to quickly anticipate the potential effects of similar shocks that may occur in the future;
- a reflection on existing research gaps;
- the ground for the identification of comprehensive policy responses.
Particular emphasis in the article is placed on the implications for future research agendas and policy design, with special attention to food price volatility as a key transmission mechanism. Understanding how multiple global shocks interact is essential to strengthening the resilience of food systems and improving preparedness under deep uncertainty.
