Abstract:

Increased inequality in the world as well as political instability and forced migration have a substantial influence on the population's ability to feed themselves. While climate change and natural resource depletion worsen these negatives, they make meeting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by 2030 more challenging. According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) study, 35 to 122 million people would fall into poverty by 2030, and food security will be reduced owing to climate-related issues. The health and socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to impair the food security and nutritional condition of the most vulnerable communities. Furthermore, according to World Food Program (WFP) research, every 1% rise in food insecurity drives an extra 1.9 percent of individuals to migrate in search of food. This migratory movement continues if food cannot be found or purchased. Many nations, particularly those in the Middle East and North Africa, are more vulnerable to these threats than others. To determine whether nations are in a better position than others in terms of food security - one of the United Nations 2030 Development Goals - data from 2020 COVID-19 period of the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) indicators will be used in the study. There are two main goals of the study: first, call attention to the growing problem of food security in light of the COVID-19 pandemic on a worldwide scale, and second, introduce an innovative approach in the literature through the use of MCDM and cluster analysis. It is hoped that the findings and methods of this study will be a useful resource for researchers and policymakers in these nations and throughout the world.

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