Hunger and climate change: a challenge for environmental and social justice OPINION July 7, 2025
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 7
Hunger and climate change: a challenge for environmental and social justice
The publication Socio-environmental Adventure: Hunger and Climate Change, prepared by the Ecological Research Institute (IPE), sheds light on an urgent and often overlooked connection: hunger and the climate crisis. On a planet that already produces enough food for everyone, 811 million people still faced malnutrition in 2020, and in Brazil, more than half of the population suffers from some level of food insecurity.
Climate change intensifies this scenario. Extreme events such as droughts and floods make food production difficult, generating especially cruel impacts for the most vulnerable populations — those who contribute least to greenhouse gas emissions but face the most severe consequences of the climate crisis.
The publication reinforces the importance of family farming as an ally in building sustainable and resilient food systems. It also highlights the role of each citizen in changing consumption habits and reducing food waste — which currently represents 17% of all global production. Adopting conscious practices, valuing local production and avoiding waste are attitudes that contribute to a more just and balanced planet.
It is urgent to recognize hunger as an environmental issue, as well as a social and economic one. The so-called "climate refugees", for example, are people forced to leave their lands because they can no longer produce food in the face of severe climate change. These migratory flows are directly linked to food instability and environmental degradation, requiring coordinated global responses and inclusive public policies.
This reality is addressed in debates on climate justice, which point to the inequality in the way different populations face the effects of the environmental crisis. While large carbon emitters continue their activities with planetary impacts, entire communities in the North and Northeast of Brazil, especially those led by black and brown women, see their food security threatened daily.
This discussion is directly aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture, which seeks to eradicate hunger and promote sustainable agricultural systems by 2030. By disseminating this knowledge, IPE contributes to expanding the dialogue between education, the environment and social justice, inspiring a new generation to act with awareness and solidarity.
SDG 2
Author: Bianca Vieira
Comments