How Much Does it Cost to Feed the World? - Arif Husain - Chief Economist, World Food Programme WFP

Awake At Night

Arif Husain has spent the past decade raising his voice on behalf of those struggling to get enough to eat. Now Chief Economist at the World Food Programme (WFP), he is calling for the world to put a stop to mass hunger.

“We want people to scream at the top of their lungs saying enough is enough […] We as humanity will not tolerate this, regardless of what and where it is happening. It's just not right if you are hurting women, children, innocent people.”

There is no shortage of food in the world, yet the WFP says the number of people going hungry has more than doubled in the past five years. In this episode, Arif Husain reflects on how the deadly trio of conflict, climate change and economics conspire to breed hunger, and offers listeners hope from a surprising source.

“I tell my colleagues … as humanitarians, our jobs are bigger than us… We don't do our job, we lose people. So every time you feel like you don't have to do 100 plus percent, just think about that.”