I’m at my keyboard six days after the people of Israel suffered a horrendous attack in which at least 1,200 civilians were brutally murdered. The Israeli response has been swift and harsh with estimates of 1,300 inhabitants of Gaza killed. By the time this article is posted those numbers will most certainly increase.

I recently read two news stories about food. In Ireland, only one story was a headline but both stories centred around access to food. Each year there is a report which identifies how countries rank in terms of food security. The 2022 Global Food Security Index¹ ranks Ireland as number two, out of one-hundred thirteen countries assessed, in four categories that contribute to an overall score. Last year, Ireland was ranked as number one.

We are living in extremely challenging times.  Geo-political conflicts are resulting in millions of people being displaced from their homes, forcing them to seek refuge in other countries.  There is increasing concern of rising inflation and shortage of fuel, wheat and grain.  Health care services around the globe continue to strain under the effects of the coronavirus, and we have yet to identify the broader impacts on the well-being of people following the pandemic.  Experts repeatedly warn of the dangers caused from globally rising temperatures and we’ve witnessed food shortages, crop failures and weather events which impact those in low-income countries more severely.