Vatican newspaper warns of global food crisis

April 27, 2026

The Vatican newspaper devoted prominent front-page coverage in its April 25 edition to the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, released the previous day by the Global Network Against Food Crises.

“Global food insecurity is no longer the product of a series of temporary shocks, but rather a structural and deeply rooted crisis,” staff journalist Stefano Leszczynski reported. “Over the last ten years, the number of people affected by acute hunger has doubled.”

“The data for 2025 speaks clearly: 266 million people across 47 countries (nearly 23% of the population analyzed) face high levels of acute food insecurity,” he continued. “And while needs are skyrocketing, the international community is stepping back, reverting funding for food security and nutrition to levels seen nearly a decade ago.”

Leszczynski warned that “outlook for 2026 remains extremely bleak, with the conflict in the Middle East threatening further instability in agri-food markets, alongside a global rise in logistics and energy costs.”

He concluded:

Faced with an emergency that has now become chronic, international agencies are calling for a radical change of pace. It is no longer merely a matter of delivering emergency aid, the FAO emphasizes, but of investing in climate adaptation, strengthening rural economies, and—above all else—enforcing respect for international humanitarian law to ensure that food is never again used as a weapon.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Il mondo ha sempre più fame (L'Osservatore Romano, 4/25/26)