In 2022, the world faced multiple crises. Disruptions to food systems from the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, major natural disasters, civil unrest and political instability, and the growing impacts of climate change continued, as the Russia-Ukraine war and inflation exacerbated a global food and fertilizer crisis. The growing number of crises, their increasing impact, and rising numbers of hungry and displaced people have galvanized calls to rethink responses to food crises, creating a real opportunity for change.

This decade has been marked by multiple, often overlapping, crises. The COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and the ongoing war in Ukraine have all threatened the fabric of our global food systems. But opportunities can be found amid crises, and the world’s food systems have demonstrated surprising resilience. With new evidence on what works, now is the time to rethink how we address food crises. Better prediction, preparation, and resilience building can make future crises less common and less devastating, and improved responses can contribute to greater food security, better nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods.

The purpose of this report is to describe work presented and discussions resulting from an event jointly convened by the CGIAR Research Initiative on Fragility, Conflict, and Migration (FCM) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Abuja, Nigeria on May 11, 2023. The event, titled “Rethinking food Crisis Responses,” drew many participants from Nigerian civil society, government, and the private sector, in addition to representatives of international organizations, local and international NGOs, and the donor community. This report was prepared by researchers from CGIAR, FCM, and IFPRI, reflecting on the insights shared, lessons learned, and collective discussions of the optimal next steps.

Subsistence production: a sign of market failure. Commercialization cannot be left to the market. Household effects of commercialization. Nutrition effects of commercialization. Policy action needed.