World NewsConflicts and energy shocks threaten progress against global hunger, UN agency head warnsConflicts threaten progressFILE - Martha Waema, stands on her farm after it was submerged by weeks of rainfall in Machakos, Kenya, May 8, 2024. The U.N. food security report, released Tuesday, found global hunger has eased modestly in recent years, but projected more than 500 million people could still face chronic hunger by 2030. Wars and geopolitical tensions can disrupt shipping, energy supplies and agricultural inputs, increasing costs across food systems already strained by inflation. While food production continues to grow, roughly a third of the global population still can't afford a healthy diet. Conflicts, energy-market disruptions and climate extremes threaten to derail progress unless governments invest in more resilient food systems, Lario said.