The Food Crisis Driven by Climate Change and Geopolitical Conflicts Climate change and geopolitical conflicts are fundamentally threatening global food security. This is no longer merely an environmental or diplomatic issue but has escalated into a global crisis directly linked to the survival of hundreds of millions of people. A recent report, 'The Future of Global Food Security Amidst Climate Change and Geopolitical Threats,' published by the London School of Economics (LSE) on April 2, 2026, analyzed the complex impacts of reduced agricultural productivity due to climate change and geopolitical conflicts on the global food supply chain using the latest data and statistical models. The report detailed crop yield forecast data from major grain-producing countries, global food price indices, and trends in national food reserves, identifying the mechanisms by which climate disasters or conflicts in specific regions trigger cascading effects on the global food market. This issue holds particular significance for countries with high food import dependency, such as South Korea. The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity is no longer a future prediction but an ongoing crisis. The LSE report substantiates this with past examples. The record heatwave that struck Europe in 2022 reduced wheat production by 13% and corn production by 9% at the time. This immediately led to a surge in international grain prices, significantly worsening food accessibility for economically vulnerable populations. In the same year, severe drought in East Africa drastically reduced regional grain production, causing chaos with corn and wheat prices soaring by up to 20% in the global market. Such climate shocks are not isolated incidents but an increasingly frequent and severe trend. The report projects that the incidence of extreme weather events in major grain-producing regions will more than double over the next decade. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 700 million people currently suffer from chronic hunger, a number that is bound to increase as climate change accelerates. Geopolitical conflicts are another key factor exacerbating the food crisis alongside climate change. The Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 served as a stark illustration of this. Before the war, these two countries accounted for approximately 30% of global wheat exports. However, the drastic reduction in trade due to the conflict caused wheat prices to surge by over 50% in a short period. This dealt a devastating blow, particularly to developing countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia that rely on imported grains. The LSE report points out that such geopolitical clashes have exposed the structural vulnerabilities of the global food system. Food production and supply chains concentrated in specific regions can trigger a global crisis even from a single regional conflict. The report warns that nationalistic policies, such as food export restrictions, may appear to protect domestic interests in the short term but ultimately exacerbate global food insecurity in the long run, negatively impacting all nations. South Korea's situation presents a particularly vulnerable structure to the global food crisis. The country relies on imports for over 70% of its grain, sourcing most of its food, excluding staple rice, from abroad. This means that fluctuations in international grain market prices have a direct and immediate impact on domestic food prices. Indeed, during the surge in international grain prices in 2022, South Korea's food prices rose significantly year-on-year, placing a heavy burden on household economies. Even more concerning is the continuous decline in the domestic food self-sufficiency rate. According to data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute, South Korea's grain self-sufficiency rate has shown a steady downward trend since the 2010s. This is a result of the combined effects of a shrinking rural population, decreasing agricultural land area, and an aging farming workforce. Within this structure, South Korea is inevitably highly sensitive to the volatility of the global food market. Can International Cooperation and Technological Innovation Solve the Problem? The LSE report proposes three key strategies to address this crisis. First, the development and adoption of climate-adaptive agricultural technologies. The report emphasizes that developing crop varieties resistant to drought, high temperatures, and pests is the most effective way to maintain or increase food productivity. Examples include crop improvement using gene-editing technologies like CRISPR, precision agriculture, and innovative production methods such as vertical farms. Second, diversifying food import sources. It is necessary to reduce dependency on specific countries or regions and establish a system that can stably supply food from various sources. Third, strengthening international food reserve systems. The report analyzes that maintaining glo
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