Food security review shows how countries can protect staple crops from global shocks

By Vijay Kumar MalesuReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Jun 9 2026

As climate shocks, conflict, and trade disruptions threaten the world’s staple crops, a new review maps the policies and technologies that could help vulnerable nations keep food supplies moving.

In a recent systematic review published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, a group of authors identified the major drivers of global food insecurity affecting staple crops and examined policy and technological approaches that may improve food availability and resilience worldwide.

Background

Maize, rice, and wheat are staple foods for billions of people, but rising food prices, climate-related disasters, pandemics, and geopolitical conflicts have made access to these staples increasingly uncertain.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, food security means having enough safe and nutritious food to eat for a healthy life. However, food supplies are threatened by population growth, changing land use, water shortages, and disruptions of global trade.

Some recent examples cited in the paper that demonstrate how quickly food systems can be destabilized include the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. 

About the Study

A systematic literature review was conducted to examine worldwide food security issues related to major staple crops like maize/corn, wheat, and rice. Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors used the Scopus database because it is one of the most comprehensive across disciplines and relatively easy to use.

The keywords used for the searches were food security, maize, corn, wheat, rice, imports, and exports. The study was restricted to English-language publications from 2000 through 2022, meaning it did not capture all food security research published after that search window. It included research articles, review articles, conference papers, and conference reviews.

The researchers screened an initial sample of 383 records, excluding duplicates and unrelated articles, but only 105 studies met the inclusion criteria. Co-occurrence network analysis of the data using the KH Coder software helped the authors assess relationships and interpret connections among frequently repeated terms.

In addition, a Causal Loop Diagram was created to show the cause-and-effect relationships influencing food security, agricultural supply, trade, climate, and policy responses.

Collectively, the results of these analyses provided a synthesis of evidence from multiple disciplines, revealing recurrent themes and possible mitigation approaches.

Study Results

The review identified two broad categories of threats to global food security: agricultural and environmental challenges, and geopolitical and socioeconomic issues.

One of the most concerning factors was climate change, which poses a serious threat to the production of staple crops due to rising temperatures, drought, and severe climatic conditions.

Water scarcity was found to be a major limiting factor, as many regions depend on irrigation to grow crops.

Urbanization and land-use change were reducing the amount of land available for food production, while concerns also arose about soil degradation and production losses from crop diseases and post-harvest spoilage.

Another important factor identified in the review was competition between food production and fuel production.

Increased growth in the bioenergy and biofuel industries has raised demand for crops such as maize and wheat, potentially leading to higher prices and diminished food availability for human consumption. Nevertheless, numerous studies have shown the potential of carefully managed bioenergy systems to help diversify energy security without posing a significant threat to the food supply when dedicated feedstocks are used, and policies prevent energy crops from displacing food supplies.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted transportation and supply chains, driving food price increases and limiting food access in many countries. Additionally, political instability, such as the Arab Spring and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has affected global grain markets and contributed to greater volatility.

Export restrictions imposed by major food-producing countries can lead to significant food shortages in countries that depend heavily on food imports, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The analysis identified several strategies that may help reduce food insecurity. International trade can provide countries with access to food when they cannot meet domestic demand.

Long-term trade agreements and carefully implemented trade liberalization could help stabilize prices and improve supply reliability, but reliance on imported food will always carry some risk, particularly when export restrictions, conflict, transport costs, or price volatility disrupt trade.

Agricultural advancements such as improved seeds, fertilizers, genetically modified crops, and modern technologies were identified as important approaches to increase yields and reduce losses.

Virtual water trading, importing foods that embody water used during production in exporting countries, was highlighted as a useful approach for water-scarce regions. 

The paper suggests that these strategies can offset reductions in agricultural supply by improving productivity, conserving water, and maintaining food access through trade networks.

Conclusion

The study concluded that global food security is shaped by interconnected environmental, economic, and geopolitical forces. Climate change, water scarcity, biofuel expansion, trade disruptions, and political conflicts can reduce food supplies and increase food prices.

Similarly, agricultural innovation, international trade, well-managed food stockpiles, and virtual water trading provide significant opportunities to increase system resilience to potential climate shocks.

The findings suggest that no single solution is sufficient; countries must combine production, trade, water management, and technology policies to protect food access. This is especially important for low-income and food-deficient nations that are highly vulnerable to climate shocks and disruptions in global supply chains. 

Further research is needed to identify sustainable, practical strategies to strengthen food security amid increasingly unpredictable global conditions.

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