Global Scans · Zero Hunger · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

• [New] The world could witness avoidable hunger emergencies on an unprecedented scale - a scenario that would further stretch already overburdened humanitarian systems and deepen global instability. Caliber.az
• [New] As climate risks intensify, the future of Indian agriculture may depend less on growing more, and more on losing less. realtyplusmag
• [New] Food insecurity reaches catastrophic levels: South Sudan enters 2026 with a hunger crisis-28,000 people face catastrophic levels of hunger and a daily risk of starvation. The IRC
• [New] With La Nina expected to bring heavier rainfall in early 2026, communities face increased risk of flooding, crop loss and waterborne disease, further undermining health, livelihoods and food security. The IRC
• [New] Climate shocks worsen hunger and disease: La Nina is expected to bring flooding to the north and drought to the south in 2026. / Ethiopia The IRC
• [New] The rising number of children who cannot afford school meals and struggle to concentrate due to hunger, signals an urgent risk of increased child labour, school dropouts and homelessness in 2026. Turkey recap
• [New] Less than 4% of current military expenditure could end world hunger by 2030, it finds, while just over 10% could fully vaccinate every child. UN News
• [New] Parametric insurance is expected to grow rapidly by 2026, especially in agriculture and disaster-prone sectors. India Today
• [New] Labour shortages will remain one of the most binding constraints on U.S. agriculture, agribusiness, and the food industry in 2026, as policymakers confront competing pressures for reform, enforcement, and political signaling. Ag Bull Trading
• [New] Transportation and logistics will be a pivotal - but often underappreciated - agriculture issue in 2026, as Congress weighs a rewrite of the Water Resources Development Act and regulators confront a proposed mega-merger in the U.S. railroad industry. Ag Bull Trading
• [New] Vertical farming could reduce water usage by as much as 95% compared to traditional agriculture by 2025. Farmonaut
• [New] In agriculture, AI-driven platforms (combining satellite imagery, IoT sensors, and predictive analytics) will help farmers use water and fertilizer more precisely, boosting crop yields while minimizing environmental impact - critical as the world faces resource constraints. Eglobalis
• [New] AI could boost global growth by nearly a full percentage point, transforming labor markets, education, healthcare, and agriculture. Atlantic Council
• [New] Perennial grains could cut carbon emissions, restore degraded soils and reshape the future of agriculture. Augusta Free Press
• [New] The World Bank is demonstrating the power of new tools that will help us monitor and better respond to global hunger crises. Food Tank
• [New] Humanity faces the dual challenge of ensuring food security for a projected population of 10 billion by 2050, requiring a 70% increase in food production, while addressing the needs of over 735 million people currently experiencing hunger. PortfoPal
• [New] The Global Hunger Index highlights conflict as the greatest driver of hunger, exacerbated by climate change, which is now a constant rather than episodic threat. World Bank
• [New] In 2026, lithium will stand at the heart of the global energy transformation, driving modern infrastructure, electrified transportation, and sustainable agriculture. Farmonaut
• [New] Precision agriculture services, vertical farming, organic crop production, agri waste management and bioenergy, aquaculture and integrated farming systems, and farm-to-table supply chain innovations are expected to dominate the agriculture landscape in 2026 and beyond. Farmonaut
• [New] Precision farming is one of the most promising agriculture business ideas for 2026, leveraging technologies such as GPS, IoT sensors, drones, and AI-powered analytics to monitor crop health, soil conditions, and water usage. Farmonaut
• [New] Long-term opportunities emerge through Latin American / Asian cocoa expansion and diversified sourcing models leveraging agroforestry and regenerative agriculture. Ainvest
• [New] Increasingly unpredictable weather makes UK crop production difficult, and funding is needed for climate adaptation and resilient varieties to protect national food security. Islam Times

Last updated: 05 January 2026