How Political Instability and Energy Prices Affect Global Food Security
Introduction
Current problems in the Strait of Hormuz and a lack of funding for farming are making food shortages worse in vulnerable parts of the world.
Main Body
The long-term conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital route for chemicals and fertilizers. Organizations such as Bread for the World and Oxfam Deutschland assert that rising energy costs cause the price of fertilizers and transport to increase. Consequently, this makes hunger worse in low-income countries because these nations depend too heavily on fossil fuels. At the same time, there is not enough money for climate projects. Although there was an agreement at COP29 to provide $300 billion a year by 2035, reports show that the actual amount of money provided is too low. Oxfam Deutschland emphasized that the U.S. government has been unhelpful since it left the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is being criticized because it might reduce the €6 billion it promised for climate finance. From a global perspective, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports a funding gap of $1.3 trillion per year in food systems. Viorel Gutu from the FAO explained that while farming creates about 30% of global greenhouse gases, it also has the potential to help reduce them. He also noted that water is used very inefficiently in agriculture compared to the services sector. Therefore, new technology is urgently needed to feed a global population that is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050.
Conclusion
The upcoming COP31 meeting in Türkiye is a critical opportunity to raise money and create international agreements to make food security less dependent on fossil fuels.
Learning
⚡ The 'Cause & Effect' Power-Up
At the A2 level, you probably use 'so' or 'because' for everything. To reach B2, you need to show a logical flow using connectors and result verbs. This article is a goldmine for this.
🛠️ Upgrade Your Logic
Look at how the text connects a problem to a result. Instead of saying "Energy is expensive, so food is expensive," we use these professional transitions:
- Consequently "...rising energy costs cause the price of fertilizers... to increase. Consequently, this makes hunger worse..."
- Therefore "...water is used very inefficiently... Therefore, new technology is urgently needed."
The B2 Rule: Place these words at the start of a new sentence, followed by a comma. It signals to the reader: "I am now explaining the result."
📈 Verbs of Influence
B2 speakers don't just say things "happen"; they describe how one thing changes another. Notice these high-impact verbs from the text:
- Affect ("How Political Instability... Affect Global Food Security")
- Use this instead of 'change' or 'influence'.
- Depend on ("...nations depend too heavily on fossil fuels.")
- Crucial for describing relationships between two things.
- Reduce ("...potential to help reduce them.")
- A precise way to say 'make smaller' or 'lessen'.
💡 Pro Tip: The 'While' Contrast
Check this sentence: "...while farming creates about 30% of global greenhouse gases, it also has the potential to help reduce them."
A2 Style: Farming makes gases. But it can also stop them. B2 Style: Use While [Fact A], [Fact B]. This allows you to present two opposing ideas in one elegant sentence, which is a hallmark of upper-intermediate fluency.