The Polycrisis, Worsened By War, Is Devastating Our Global Food System

This episode of Clearing the Fog explores the deepening global food crisis exacerbated by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, climate change, corporate monopolization, and failing agricultural policies. Host Margaret Flowers, joined by guests Kayla Dones and Lauren Borsheim, reveals how China’s sudden ban on nitrogen fertilizer exports, combined with war-related fuel shortages and rising input costs, is threatening global food security. Dones highlights the collapse of small farms, the rise of food insecurity—already affecting 47 million Americans—and the historical link between food shortages and civil unrest. She urges communities to prepare through local food networks, regenerative agriculture, and grassroots organizing. Borsheim critiques the current farm bill, arguing it entrenches corporate control by favoring factory farms, weakening pesticide regulations, and cutting nutrition assistance. She calls for public pressure to demand a fairer, farmer- and consumer-centered bill. Together, the guests emphasize that systemic change is urgent—and possible through community action, policy reform, and a shift toward food sovereignty.