, Columnist
The Global Safety Net Against Hunger Is Frailer Than You Think
Political upheaval can accelerate food insecurity, particularly when the system is based on such shaky foundations.
Scorched earth.
Photographer: T. Narayan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
How has the world managed to double its population over the past 50 years while still keeping most of us fed? Much of it is down to globalization.
In past centuries, crop failures in one region would inevitably lead to starvation. The 70% fall in ocean freight costs between 1840 and 1910 changed this, sparking the growth of a global trade in grains. About a quarter of all the calories we consume are now traded across borders.