Even before the pandemic, the global efforts at fighting the hunger crises and the attendant food insecurity had been reported to be not just stalling—in fact it was regressing. The pandemic made the situation even worse by driving an increase of 22% in the number of people suffering from hunger in 2023, bringing the total number to a staggering 345 million hungry people. Moreover, with the disruptions triggered by the Ukraine war, food security is not the only problem being compounded but also a decline in the supply of feed, fertilizer, fuel and finance. Known as the Five Fs (Food, Fertilizer, Feed, Fuel, and Finance), these sectors not only affect one another but also the development programming and the humanitarian responses to the food crises.

Against this background, this year's Global Town Hall session ‘Everybody’s Business: Sorting Out the Five Fs (Food, Feed, Fertilizers, Fuel, Finance)’ seeks to untangle the complexities of feeding the world while also achieving a resilient global food system. The session will identify the gaps in our current global food systems and take into account the perspectives of key stakeholders of the Five Fs sectors. It will bring up innovative solutions to crises in the Five Fs. To create a world where no one is left behind, as promised by The 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals, it is imperative that nations in the global community and work hand-in-hand with one another. And world leaders must step up to their commitments to match the severity of the moment so that the promise can be fulfilled.