According to Maximo Torero, Chief Economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world is still far from achieving the goal of eliminating hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition by 2030, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and specifically SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
Torero noted that if current trends continue, approximately 582 million people will still suffer from hunger in 2030, with half of them in Africa.
Despite some progress in addressing stunting and promoting breastfeeding, global hunger levels have remained stagnant for three consecutive years. The report, jointly published by FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the UN World Health Organization (WHO), states that between 713 million and 757 million people were undernourished in 2023, which is 152 million more than in 2019.
The report highlights the regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where hunger continues to rise in Africa, affecting 20.4% of the population, remaining stable in Asia at 8.1%, and showing some progress in Latin America with 6.2% of the population facing hunger. However, hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African subregions between 2022 and 2023.
Torero also emphasized that Africa faces a unique challenge as it is the only region where hunger has risen due to all three major drivers: conflict, climate extremes, and economic downturns. He stated that war remains a significant driver of hunger, exacerbating the food crisis in various countries.
The report also highlights that billions of people still do not have access to adequate food. In 2023, approximately 2.33 billion people globally were moderately or severely food insecure, similar to the number during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of this number, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, meaning they had to go for periods without food. While Latin America has seen some improvements in food security, in Africa, 58% of the population is moderately or severely food insecure.
The report also addresses the economic reasons for global hunger, stating that 2.8 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. There is a significant contrast between high-income and low-income countries, with only 6.3% of people in high-income countries unable to afford a healthy diet, compared to 71.5% in low-income countries. While Asia, North America, and Europe saw improvements, the situation worsened in Africa.
COVID-19 remains a significant factor in the fight against global hunger. The report states that in upper-middle and higher-income countries, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell below pre-pandemic levels in 2022. However, in low-income countries, the number of people unable to buy enough healthy food reached its highest level since 2017. In 2020, 1.68 billion people globally could not afford a healthy diet, with a 59% increase in lower-middle-income countries. Torero attributes this disparity to the significant increase in inequalities among countries and regions caused by COVID-19.
The report also highlights the progress and challenges in child nutrition. While exclusive breastfeeding rates have increased to 48%, low birthweight levels remain stagnant at around 15%, and stunting in children under five decreased to 22.3%, still below the targets. There was little change in combating wasting and anaemia in women, and adult obesity continued to rise, reaching 15.8% in 2022, with projections of more than 1.2 billion obese adults by 2030.
The report’s authors stress the complexity of malnutrition and the need for targeted interventions against a backdrop of persistent food price inflation, conflicts, climate change, and economic downturns that are worsening food insecurity and malnutrition globally.
The report’s recommendations focus on a comprehensive approach to achieving SDG 2: Zero Hunger, including transforming agrifood systems, addressing inequalities, and making healthy diets affordable and accessible. The report calls for increased, cost-effective financing and a standardized approach to food security and nutrition.
Torero explains that one of the major recommendations is to have a common definition for what is being financed and the key elements to include in this definition. This will enhance donor accountability and provide a clearer picture of financial flows.
UN agency heads, including FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, stress the importance of closing the financing gap. They emphasize that substantial investment is necessary to end hunger and malnutrition, framing it as both a future investment and a fundamental obligation.
The report states that 63% of the 119 low and middle-income countries featured in the report have limited access to financing and are affected by multiple factors of food insecurity. Better data coordination, higher risk tolerance, and more transparency are crucial to bridging the financing gap and strengthening global food security efforts.
Torero concludes by stating that we must understand that our agrifood systems are under increasing risk and uncertainty due to climate change, and donors must adopt greater risk tolerance to activate effective finance.