Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom, made an announcement on Monday regarding the launch of a new research initiative aimed at supporting the development of crops such as disease-resistant wheat, flood-tolerant rice, and other crops that exhibit greater resilience to the impacts of climate change.
During a one-day Global Food Security Summit held in London, Sunak, alongside officials and business leaders from approximately 20 countries, emphasized the need for a transformative approach to address the escalating food security challenges exacerbated by climate change. He underscored the significance of research and disclosed the United Kingdom’s plans to establish a “virtual research hub” to facilitate collaboration among global researchers focusing on enhancing crop resilience. This initiative will be integrated into the CGIAR international research alliance.
Sunak highlighted the pressing issues posed by climate change, conflicts, and population growth, stressing the necessity for proactive measures to avert food crises. He emphasized the pivotal role of science and technology in ensuring the resilience of food supplies against threats like conflict, drought, and natural disasters.
The summit, co-hosted by Somalia and the United Arab Emirates, in partnership with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed to address critical global food security challenges. Concurrently, Palestinian protesters advocating for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict staged a protest outside the summit venue, calling for urgent humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza.
While acknowledging the efforts to tackle global food security issues, concerns were raised regarding the dire situation in Gaza, where approximately 2.2 million people face severe food shortages. Melanie Ward, the chief executive of the protesting group, highlighted that the current level of aid reaching Gaza is only adequate for sustaining the population for a couple of days, reflecting less than 10% of the required food supplies.
Sunak urged Israel to authorize “immediate and significant humanitarian pauses” to facilitate the delivery of essential supplies including food, fuel, and medical aid to Gaza, despite the United Kingdom refraining from explicitly calling for a cease-fire as the United States has done. He expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Gaza, emphasizing the urgent need for action to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.
