BOSTON, Massachusetts — Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030, eliminating hunger used to be seen as the most feasible. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 15 years of progress on improving access to food have been lost. Despite global agricultural production being more than sufficient to meet the world's nutritional needs, food insecurity is significant and rising everywhere, even in rich countries. Especially worrying are the significant increases in hunger in lower-income countries.

Soaring food prices are to blame for this damaging reversal. Worse, more such shocks are likely to emerge as climate change worsens and geopolitical tensions mount. The Group of 20 (G20), under Brazil's presidency this year and South Africa's in 2025, must devise a new stabilization playbook to address these risks.