Chef José Andrés: Every country needs a national food security adviser

Famous chef and humanitarian José Andrés on Tuesday floated the idea that world leaders should redirect 3 percent of their defense spending toward combating hunger.

Speaking at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC, Andrés said investing in food security is a matter of national security, and that each global leader should have a national food security adviser.

“Our countries, our nations, they need to be taking food more seriously and think about the consequences… of decisions,” Andrés said.

The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is disrupting supplies vital to fertilizer production. He predicted that the global fertilizer shortage will lead to a widespread food emergency, prompting massive emigration from famine-stricken countries.

“When people are hungry, what they do, like we’ve done for centuries, we become nomads,” said Andrés, a hospitality entrepreneur who founded the disaster-relief nonprofit World Central Kitchen. “Because without fertilizers, we will not feed the world.”

Andrés also took aim at Elon Musk, who helped decimate USAID.

“Understanding how successful he is, how smart he is, the amazing things he’s been able to create,” Andrés said. “I wish that this was the Elon Musk I will have all the time.”