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Wars, blockades of key trade routes, climate change, El Niño, and natural disasters are disrupting global food supplies. These issues affect us all.
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00:07The world seems to be falling apart. Wars, conflicts, climate change and natural disasters.
00:14Sustainable solutions are expensive and difficult to implement.
00:18Now, to make matters worse, a devastating weather phenomenon may arrive this year,
00:23with a massive El Niño expected.
00:25So, what can be done when so many people around the world are going hungry?
00:32Here's what's coming up in the show. Migrant remittance payments are keeping Pakistan afloat.
00:38What's the risk?
00:40Cuba is battling with power cuts and high energy prices, but now tourists are also staying away.
00:47And fashion made from worn out clothes. A female designer shows us how it's done.
01:01It looks like the perfect storm. Three crises. The war in Ukraine still hangs over one of the world's major
01:09grain exporting regions.
01:10The war involving Iran has disrupted energy, shipping and fertiliser markets.
01:15And a strong El Niño is developing, threatening drought in some places and a washout in others.
01:21Put those together and a new global hunger spike may seem inevitable.
01:26But it has not happened. At least, not yet.
01:30Food prices are nearly 20% below their 2022 peak.
01:34That doesn't mean food is cheap. Prices are still well above pre-pandemic levels.
01:39International food prices rose after the Hormuz disruption, but nowhere near as dramatically as in 2022.
01:46By June, they'd begun easing again. Why?
01:49We are seeing improvements in agricultural productivity, for example, in India, across Latin America.
01:58These have helped sustain food production and reduce undernourishment.
02:04And this is balancing some of the localised impacts of conflict.
02:10The world brought in the biggest grain harvest in history last year.
02:14This year's is expected to be slightly smaller, at just under 3 billion tonnes, but still the second largest ever.
02:21And the world has a buffer.
02:23Global cereal stocks are forecast to reach almost 958 million tonnes.
02:29The stock-to-use ratio, which measures how much food is left over, is 32%, near record levels.
02:36Grain has kept moving.
02:38Not only has Ukraine managed to keep exporting, even when under fire,
02:41but prices have actually fallen because they've exported so much.
02:46As for El Niño, it's expected to impact harvests due to extreme weather, so the prices of some foods will
02:52go up as a result.
02:53When weather damage remains regional, other major producers can often compensate.
02:58Though that becomes harder if several growing regions are hit simultaneously, or if governments restrict exports.
03:05But all that does not mean hunger is under control.
03:09The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation says 266 million people are facing acute hunger.
03:16That number has stayed fairly stable.
03:18So the issue is not of availability, the issue is of distribution, when we refer to calories.
03:24So we have enough calories in the world produced to feed everybody.
03:27The problem is that those calories are not distributed in the same way across the world, and that's the challenge.
03:33The worst hunger is, of course, where those global grain supplies cannot reach.
03:37Just ten countries accounted for two-thirds of the people facing acute hunger in the food crisis countries assessed by
03:44the UN.
03:44War is destroying local food sources, it's displacing millions of people, it's damaging infrastructure, and severely restricts humanitarian access.
03:57And in some hotspots, such as Sudan and Gaza, for example, we are seeing that hunger is increasingly being used
04:06as a weapon of war.
04:07Conflict in places like Gaza and Sudan can block markets and access to humanitarian assistance.
04:14Displacement can destroy incomes and local production, meaning global warehouses can be full, while individual families have nothing to eat.
04:23And while the geopolitical conflicts have not blocked global supplies yet, there's a risk they could spin out of control.
04:30Just take one risk hiding in plain sight – fertilizer.
04:34Around a third of the global seaborne fertilizer trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
04:40Some farmers are paying substantially more, delaying purchases or switching to crops that require less fertilizer.
04:48If they ultimately apply less, yields could suffer in the next harvest.
04:52So the compound effect of a significant increase on all the input prices that are needed for agriculture because of
04:59the Strait of Hormuz closure, where 20 to 30% of the inputs come from,
05:03plus a potential stress of extreme temperatures or flooding, could create a very complex situation by the end of this
05:10year and next year.
05:11So the buffers held. This time. Record harvests, deep stockpiles and rerouted trade have stopped a triple crisis from becoming
05:20a global food shock.
05:21The latest UN figures show that global hunger was actually falling before these new shocks fully arrived, but the effect
05:28is delayed.
05:29The UN also estimates that the Middle East conflict alone could leave millions more people hungry by 2030.
05:37And that projection does not yet include the effects of El Niño.
05:41The perfect storm has not yet produced a global food shock, but it has not passed either.
05:46If the oil price leaps again and stays high due to the conflict in Iran.
05:50If grain exports from Ukraine are successfully blockaded, if El Niño bites harder into next year's crops while farmers are
05:58already planting less,
06:00or if all those happened at once, then we could be facing a spike in global hunger.
06:05But don't forget, regardless of those shocks, for millions of people, especially in conflict zones, the food crisis never went
06:13away.
06:17The Gulf states are completely reinventing themselves, and construction is booming.
06:23Working these building sites, migrants from South Asia.
06:26They send part of their wages back home.
06:29The money is a vital source of support for families and the state.
06:33In Pakistan, remittance payments even exceed national export earnings.
06:38But the conflict in Iran has highlighted just how exposed Pakistan is to regional upheaval.
06:44The war in Iran, a conflict that's distorted trade and undermined global markets.
06:50And for Pakistanis, one that's shaking a very pillar of the country's economy.
06:55The remittances that overseas workers send back home from jobs in the Gulf nations.
07:00Pakistan is highly dependent on remittances, especially from the Gulf.
07:04The amount that remittances contributing towards the growth of Pakistanis is equivalent to the export to GDP share.
07:11Every year, hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis leave for Gulf countries in search of jobs.
07:17The remittances they send back home pay for essentials.
07:20They ease pressure on households and bring in much-needed foreign exchange.
07:25But if the war drags on, could Pakistan face an economic shock?
07:29The pressure starts at home.
07:31Pakistan's population is growing fast.
07:34And that means more and more young people are reaching working age every year.
07:38Around 2 million join the workforce annually.
07:41But the economy struggles to create enough jobs for them.
07:44So migration becomes something of a pressure valve.
07:48Official registered migration began rising sharply in 2005, peaking near 1 million in 2015.
07:55Following a brief dip, the numbers rose again, reaching almost 900,000 in 2023 alone.
08:04And this migration has not been spread evenly around the world.
08:07From 2005 to 2015, rising oil prices sparked an economic boom in places like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
08:15And suddenly those countries needed large numbers of foreign workers.
08:20Gulf countries are the top destinations for Pakistani workers.
08:23In the past 10 years, more than 3.5 million Pakistanis moved to Saudi Arabia alone.
08:29And more than 2 million to the UAE.
08:34Of course, people select UAE or Qatar or Bahrain for that matter.
08:38Because the distance from Pakistan is quite less, right?
08:43And the cost of visa and all those other things are quite less as compared to if you were to
08:48travel somewhere else.
08:50And of course, the relationship is not one way.
08:53As the war reached into Gulf countries, Pakistani and other South Asian workers were still helping keep those economies functioning
09:00on the roads, at work sites and in essential services.
09:05I think a lot of the conditions are shared among Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Nepalese, and many of them are in
09:13what we would call frontline industries right now.
09:17So a lot of, you know, a lot of middle class workers have moved into working from home.
09:24But we still have a lot of delivery drivers, gardeners, security guards, lots of, you know, everyday labor that needs
09:35to take place outside.
09:37But there's a reason that Pakistani workers are putting themselves at risk.
09:41Many of them are leaving families behind, which makes the money sent home even more important.
09:47Remittances do not go to the government or into state projects.
09:52So primarily this is individuals sending money back to their families, right?
09:57An individual will usually send almost all of their salary back to their family back home.
10:03That money not only helps cover the essentials of everyday life, it also does much more than that.
10:10Migration not only improves the short-term and long-term investments in the market, small businesses prosper, education is enhanced,
10:19especially for girls.
10:20And we see that the health for boys is way better and significantly higher than that in the non-migrant
10:27households.
10:28To put things into perspective, in fiscal year 2025, Pakistani workers sent home more than $38 billion.
10:3654% of that came from the Gulf region.
10:38Saudi Arabia represented the largest share with almost $9.5 billion, followed by the UAE with nearly $8 billion.
10:47Remittances make up about 10% of Pakistan's GDP.
10:51They are the largest source of foreign exchange, even exceeding exports, which are around $32.2 billion in the same
11:01time period.
11:02And for surpassing the foreign direct investment, which is around $2 billion.
11:09But what happens to those remittances in times of global turmoil and uncertainty?
11:14If we look at one of our graphs again, we can see that the closest example was the first year
11:19of COVID, when almost no workers left Pakistan.
11:22We've seen an increase in remittances during the COVID time period.
11:30Also, remittances act as a private social subpoena.
11:33What we call the insurance motive of remittances, that people basically send more remittances during a hard time.
11:42So one time period shock does not mean that the entire benefit has been wiped out.
11:46So this is very important, you see.
11:49Migrant households have been seen as people who tend to save the amount for difficult times.
11:57So we do not, even if for that time period, specifically remittance falls down, the positive spillover that we are
12:04getting from the previous remittance flow still exists.
12:07For now, remittances are still flowing, and history shows that they can even hold up in times of crisis.
12:14But if the war drags on, the bigger risk may come later, through weaker hiring, fewer departures, and more pressure
12:21on the country.
12:23For Pakistan, remittances remain a vital lifeline.
12:27But as this crisis shows, a country cannot rely forever on exporting its workers.
12:37Cuba is economically and politically isolated, and its economy is struggling badly.
12:42Everything is expensive, especially food.
12:45Now tourists are staying away as well.
12:47This is becoming an increasing problem for Cuban families.
12:50On top of that, there are constant power outages, and there is no reliable supply of electricity.
12:57Maria Rose is retired, having once worked as a secretary for the Cuban government.
13:02The 71-year-old resides in Casablanca, a short ferry ride away from downtown Havana.
13:09Her house is one of many that have been suffering from regular power outs.
13:15We don't have any gas at home.
13:17And the thing is, we don't have any family abroad.
13:20And we don't have anyone who can give us a dollar, so we can't get any.
13:26What concerns Maria the most is the rising cost of living in Cuba.
13:31Her pension pays her 3,000 Cuban pesos a month, which by official rates is around 125 US dollars.
13:39But the cost for basic food supplies, such as rice, have risen to 750 pesos, around 30 dollars per kilo.
13:48What can I buy with that?
13:51And there are a bunch of people like me, you understand.
13:55We are limited.
13:58US sanctions are hitting people hard within Cuba, making life difficult.
14:02Coupled with the lack of international arrivals, putting money into the economy,
14:07life is bleak throughout Cuba, even here in the capital.
14:12That means business is tough for Frank Delgado.
14:15He runs a painting shop in the heart of Old Havana.
14:18Usually he sells around 20 paintings a week, but that number has sharply fallen in 2026.
14:24He says he hasn't made a sale since January.
14:29I have all these paintings here in the house, and I can't sell a single one.
14:34It's been quite a little while now since I've sold any.
14:42With many Cubans struggling for the basics, including healthcare,
14:46there are some volunteer organizations that are trying to fill the gap.
14:51Alivas Sosa Quinones is a volunteer at the UNG Hombre Nuevo Tierra Nueva,
14:57a Spanish NGO that has been providing aid to Cuba for over 25 years.
15:02Located at the Corazon de Maria Catholic Church on the outskirts of downtown Havana,
15:07all of the medicine distributed here is donated from Madrid in Spain.
15:12Cubans come here because there isn't enough medicine in local pharmacies.
15:19Cuba will be grateful for it, and it's very much needed at all times,
15:25especially now when we're going through some social difficulties,
15:28some economic difficulties, and in every aspect.
15:35Cuba is no stranger to economic difficulties,
15:38but the situation right now feels really desperate.
15:42Whatever happens next, a change in circumstances is needed,
15:46and for the Cuban people who are desperate for some light at the end of the tunnel.
15:52Want to earn some extra dosh without turning your entire routine upside down?
15:57Sounds good, but not everyone can become an influencer.
16:01That's why many people in Germany rely on mini-jobs, a flexible and popular solution.
16:06But the federal government's reforms could change everything.
16:10We spoke with people in Berlin who stand to be directly affected by the upheaval.
16:16A so-called mini-job. That was exactly what Daniela Ahrens i Pedrasa needed.
16:22And she found one at a clothing store in central Berlin.
16:25She works at a hotel but reduced her hours to pursue vocational training in communication design,
16:31but then realized she wasn't making enough money anymore.
16:37I still have to pay my bills.
16:39So I decided to take on a mini-job, so I could cover all my expenses.
16:48Some 6.9 million people in Germany work in mini-jobs.
16:52They can earn more than 603 euros a month.
16:56These jobs are tax-free and employees don't have to pay for health, care or unemployment insurance.
17:03That's a big financial advantage.
17:05Workers have different reasons for taking on mini-jobs.
17:08Like Sophia aren't.
17:09She has a part-time position at an organic store and also works a mini-job at Café Freisen in
17:15her Berlin neighbourhood,
17:16where she clocks about 36 hours a month.
17:23I need a great deal of time to myself.
17:25That's just how it is.
17:27It's always been that way and I think it will stay that way.
17:30So for the moment, this works for me.
17:34It helps me function better so that when I am working, I'm fully present and do my job well.
17:42Mini-jobs were actually intended as a bridge into the labour market, giving people easy entrance into the workforce to
17:50develop further.
17:51Instead, we now see that they've become a hurdle.
17:54Many people simply won't go beyond that mini-job earnings limit
17:58because they don't want to lose being exempt from taxes and social security contributions.
18:02But there would be other possibilities to have a career and to save for retirement.
18:09Unions and most political parties share this view.
18:12But the official mini-jobs centre disagrees.
18:14It says that many people work mini-jobs for other reasons.
18:18More than half to earn extra income, free of tax and social security contributions,
18:23alongside a regular job that already provides full social insurance coverage.
18:28Others are students, trainees or people over 60.
18:31For just over 5%, a mini-job could serve as a first step into the labour market.
18:37Around half of all companies in Germany offer mini-jobs.
18:41Most of them in retail and hospitality.
18:43Industries that often require additional staff during peak times.
18:51People are flexible.
18:53They know they can work here for 2, 3 or 4 hours a day.
18:57And the rest of the time they have for other things.
19:00And it's a huge help for us to have those few hours of work taken off our hands each day.
19:09But now mini-jobbers and their employers are facing a challenge.
19:13The German federal government wants to eliminate mini-jobs as part of its pension reform.
19:21We'll probably find a way to deal with this.
19:23We'll come up with something.
19:24But if it ends up costing us more money, then customers might have to share the cost.
19:31For me, it would mean I'd have to go back to working more hours at my main job.
19:36In other words, I'd have to extend my part-time hours there,
19:39leaving me with less time for my studies or vocational training.
19:46I might have to give up both the part-time job and the mini-job
19:49and look for something completely different.
19:51That's what it could mean.
19:56Mini-jobs have suited them well,
19:58so they hope the government will leave them with at least a similar option in the future.
20:09Fast fashion is big money.
20:12But cheap clothes that are worn a few times and then thrown away are bad for a host of reasons.
20:18A designer from Senegal refuses to be part of that.
20:22Instead, she repurposes old clothes, creating a distinctive line of upcycled fashion.
20:31My name is Mamhadi Baji. I'm a Senegalese designer based in Berlin.
20:36My specialty is sustainable fashion.
20:39I give new life to clothes that I collect from the streets.
20:43Her signature style is the fusion of Berlin streetwear and Senegalese heritage.
20:50Welcome to my atelier.
20:54Mon univers.
20:57She's using what's called njahas.
20:59It means combining different colors from different textiles.
21:06Artists like DJ Noemi, who plays Afrobeat music on major stages around the world, are wearing her outfits.
21:17I rent them out to artists.
21:19Singers, influencers who wear them at gala dinners or on music stages.
21:27I can mention, for example, Ronnie Goliath, who wore one of my outfits at Lollapalooza last year.
21:36Kingsley Q has worn my outfits three times on three different stages.
21:43Damidas, the same. DJ Noemi, the same.
21:46They wear my designs and support me in their own way.
21:50It's a win-win situation.
21:53Sometimes the artists like her fashion and buy it right away.
21:57But mom wants her fashion not only to be popular among African artists,
22:02but also among the people in her new home, Germany.
22:07She showed her line at the latest Berlin Fashion Week in July 2026.
22:13Few could tell that her dresses were made from second-hand goods.
22:17But for mom Hadibachi, it's an important part of her work.
22:24People wear them without realizing that they were picked up and recycled.
22:35This outfit is made from recycled jeans, different jeans actually, with different colors to create contrast.
22:43While working in Senegal's fashion industry, she met her future husband, a German who was also working in the field.
22:52She moved to Berlin in 2017 and continued working from home.
22:58But balancing her craft with a young child was challenging.
23:03Renting a studio was financially impossible at first, until Sarah Diaz Rodriguez and Essie Glomb of the Berlin Textile Co
23:12-op offered her support.
23:14Their affordable co-working space gives young designers access to professional sewing, knitting and weaving equipment.
23:24Clothing is part of our culture, our identity.
23:27And the globalization kind of gives us this very, let's say, plain perspective of fashion.
23:38And I think we have to reclaim our cultural heritage, where are we from, our traditional traditions.
23:47Especially if we think about textiles, weaving traditions.
23:52And designers like Mame show that it's possible to transform or redefine the idea of textile waste and transform these
24:06materials into something valuable.
24:09Sarah's help has also been valuable for acquiring funding for Mame's projects, because up to now she does not make
24:18a profit.
24:19But she hopes increasing her content on social media will help her get more attention and customers.
24:26I definitely think that people recognize her art throughout many others and I definitely see and others also see her
24:43vision coming true.
24:46And also her identity, like the identity of her clothes.
24:53That's what struck Analeah Fisher too, who is Mame's assistant.
24:58They met a few months ago at the Co-op as Analeah wants to learn from Mame and become a
25:05fashion designer as well.
25:07Often times when we go to fashion shows, her clothes kind of stand out the most because they're so bright
25:12and so colorful and so fun.
25:14And very unique, I would say.
25:18The only one.
25:20The only one.
25:20The only one.
25:21The only one.
25:22Mame.
25:23Mamadi Baji is still building her brand, one recycled piece at a time.
25:28Her next stop is the Renewable Elecon's fashion show in Cologne.
25:34Another step in her journey to prove that fashion's future can be both sustainable and rooted in tradition.
25:45That's all for today.
25:47We've reported on the global food production crisis.
25:51How Pakistan's reliance on remittance payments is a risky business.
25:56And Cuba's economic and tourism downturn.
26:00Until next time, goodbye.
26:02Goodbye.
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