Increased demand for water will be the number one threat to food security in the next 20 years, followed closely by heat waves, droughts, income inequality and political instability, according to a new University of Colorado Boulder-led study which calls for increased collaboration to build a more resilient global food supply.

The report comes as global hunger levels in 2021 surpassed the previous record set in 2020, and acute food insecurity in many countries could continue to worsen this year, according to the United Nations and The World Bank.