Strides toward eliminating hunger, yet not universally achieved
The World Food Report, presented by five UN agencies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2020, emphasized the disproportionate impact of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition on low-income countries and communities.
Conflict and political instability, economic challenges, climate change, global crises, and rising food prices are the main factors contributing to this crisis. In Africa and West Asia, conflict is cited as the primary driver behind many ongoing food crises. Economic challenges, including slowdowns and downturns in national economies compounded by high levels of debt, limit the ability of countries to import food and maintain minimum calorie intake for their populations. Climate change and extreme weather events disproportionately affect vulnerable regions by causing droughts, floods, and other agricultural disruptions. Global crises impacts, such as the COVID-19 pandemic-related economic and supply chain disruptions, combined with the war in Ukraine and multiple extreme weather events, have led to inflated food prices and increased food insecurity.
As a result, hunger rates have risen sharply. In 2024, over 20% of Africa’s population (around 307 million) faced hunger, with Western Asia also experiencing a significant rise. Projections estimate that by 2030, 512 million people could be chronically undernourished, nearly 60% of them in Africa.
Even small price increases could make food unaffordable for poorer households, and rising food prices made healthier and higher quality foods unaffordable for many. Poorer households spend a larger portion of their income on food, making them particularly vulnerable to price fluctuations.
Despite progress in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and South America, the report indicated that hunger increased against the global trend in Africa and West Asia. The report did not specify the exact reasons for the food insecurity and malnutrition in low-income countries and communities, nor did it provide information about the strategies or actions taken by the UN agencies to combat hunger or rising food prices.
The report also highlighted that approximately 2.3 billion people worldwide lived in medium to severe food insecurity in 2020, with approximately 673 million experiencing hunger. Despite progress, 8.2 percent of the world’s population still could not eat enough.
The report did not indicate specific reasons for the progress or regression in different regions, nor did it provide information about the causes or consequences of hunger in the mentioned regions. Nevertheless, it underscores the immense challenge of achieving global zero hunger goals (SDG 2) and the urgent need for targeted interventions to address food insecurity and malnutrition in low-income regions.
- The report, presented in 2020, pointed out that science and technology advancements are essential to solve the global food crisis, particularly in developing regions like Africa and West Asia, where climate change and agriculture disruptions occurred due to extreme weather events.
- In light of rising food prices and healthier food becoming unattainable for many low-income households, the promotion of nutrition-focused health-and-wellness policies and lifestyle changes, emphasizing food-and-drink choices with improved nutritional value, is crucial for ensuring food accessibility and reducing malnutrition in vulnerable communities.
- As the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, extreme weather events, and economic downturns continue to exacerbate the global food security crisis, it is vital for health-and-wellness organizations and policymakers to cooperate and implement solutions tailored to each unique region and circumstance, ensuring food and nutrition needs are met while promoting lifestyle choices that improve overall health and wellness.
