Heavy rain likely to cause low yields in Britain and other parts of Europe, with drought in Morocco hitting imports Which UK foods are at risk? The UK faces food shortages and price rises as extreme weather linked to climate breakdown causes low yields on farms locally and abroad. Record rainfall has meant farmers in many parts of the UK have been unable to plant crops such as potatoes, wheat and vegetables during the key spring season. Crops that have been planted are of poor quality, with some rotting in the ground ..read more

Poverty reduction drive all but halted across many nations as Bank calls for more money to tackle a ‘great reversal’ Larry Elliott: At last G20 is showing how to fund an assault on poverty The devastating impact of the pandemic on the world’s poorest countries has brought poverty reduction to a halt and led to a widening income gap with nations in the rich west, the World Bank has warned. In a report released to coincide with its half-yearly meeting, the Washington-based organisation said half of the world’s 75 poorest nations had seen income per head rise more slowly than in developed count ..read more

Economic crisis has driven Warao communities from their traditional life in lush forest to a Brazilian slum Photographs by Nicola Zolin At 4pm, the sound of sirens is fading. On the pavement, a teenage girl – her eyes darting back and forth to monitor police presence – starts smoking crack. She is across the street from “Hotel 583”, a makeshift shelter in a dangerous part of downtown Manaus, the capital of Amazonas in Brazil. On the second floor of the building, in the Cidade de Deus slum, 20 of the 27 Warao people who live here cram into a sweltering room measuring about 20 sq metres. Some ..read more

Foreign Office paper says not enough being done, with over half the population living on less than $1.90 a day UK politics – latest updates New fears have arisen about the suitability of Rwanda as a destination to send UK asylum seekers after a damning government assessment about the prevalence of poverty and malnutrition in the country. The paper, from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), highlights key concerns about the state of Rwanda in a “problem statement”. More than half of the population – 56.5% – live on less than $1.90 a day and FCDO’s analysis finds that pover ..read more

Reports of exorbitant cost of basic vegetables, as well as oil and flour, come amid warnings that Gaza is on the verge of famine People living in Gaza are facing exorbitant food prices as more than 1 million residents of the Palestinian territory face famine. Since Israel’s invasion in October, it has become common for Gaza’s displaced population to share pictures of their shopping baskets and document how high prices have risen amid food shortages ..read more

Thousands of farmers have been persuaded by TREES scheme to replace barren monocultures with biodiverse forest gardens In a world of monoculture cash crops, an innovative African project is persuading farmers to plant biodiverse forest gardens that feed the family, protect the soil and expand tree cover. Could Trees for the Future (TREES) be a rare example of a mass reforestation campaign that actually works? The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) certainly thinks so and last month awarded it the status of World Restoration Flagship ..read more

Struggling to compete with large-scale landowners, smallholder farmers move ever deeper into Brazil’s disappearing forest Onésio Nascimento has worked the land his whole life, moving from one Brazilian farming frontier to the next. During the coronavirus pandemic, he sold 20 hectares (50 acres) of land in northwest Mato Grosso state and used the money to buy another 100 hectares further north in the Amazon, in south Roraima. Today, he grows cassava and bananas on his land, an hour’s drive down a bumpy dirt road, which turns to mud during the rainy season. Flanked by small herds of cattle, the ..read more

The Wayúu people of La Guajira have always faced water scarcity. But now severe drought has brought disease and a shortage of food Photographs by Angela Ponce for Save the Children in La Guajira, Colombia ..read more

More than 40% of produce in the country is lost or wasted but new research highlights how it could be a key tool in fighting rising food insecurity. One charity is leading the charge About half a dozen men in hairnets busy themselves with crates of fresh produce outside a food depot in Rio de Janeiro’s northern suburbs. As one reels off a list of products, the others place oddly shaped vegetables into large bags before loading them into a waiting car. The produce will later be cooked and served in soup kitchens, nurseries and other institutions offering free meals to people in need across the ..read more

Exclusive: UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri says denial of food is war crime and constitutes ‘a situation of genocide’ Israel is intentionally starving Palestinians and should be held accountable for war crimes – and genocide, according to the UN’s leading expert on the right to food. Hunger and severe malnutrition are widespread in the Gaza Strip, where about 2.2 million Palestinians are facing severe shortages resulting from Israel destroying food supplies and severely restricting the flow of food, medicines and other humanitarian supplies. Aid trucks and Palestinian ..read more