UN Report Highlights Major Setback In 'Zero Hunger By 2030' Goal

Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report. This annual report, published by five United Nations specialised agencies, highlights significant setbacks in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.

The report reveals that global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years. Between 713 and 757 million people were undernourished in 2023, approximately 152 million more than in 2019. Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, food insecurity and malnutrition remain critical issues.

Regional trends show varying degrees of hunger. In Africa, the percentage of the population facing hunger continues to rise at 20.4 percent. Asia remains stable at 8.1 percent but still represents a significant challenge as it is home to more than half of those facing hunger worldwide. Latin America shows progress with a rate of 6.2 percent.

If current trends persist, about 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, with half of them residing in Africa. This projection closely resembles levels seen in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted, indicating a concerning stagnation in progress.

The report also highlights that access to adequate food remains elusive for billions. In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity. Among these individuals, over 864 million experienced severe food insecurity, going without food for an entire day or more at times.

Economic Access to Healthy Diets

The lack of economic access to healthy diets affects over one-third of the global population. New data reveals that over 2.8 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. This issue is most pronounced in low-income countries where 71.5 percent cannot afford a healthy diet compared to just 6.3 percent in high-income countries.

Notably, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet dropped below pre-pandemic levels in Asia and Northern America and Europe but increased substantially in Africa.

The SOFI report underscores that despite some regional improvements, broader challenges persist globally, especially in Africa where food insecurity remains alarmingly high at 58 percent of the population being moderately or severely food insecure.

This year's report was launched during the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting held in Brazil. It warns that the world has been set back by fifteen years with levels of undernourishment comparable to those seen during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.

In conclusion, while there are pockets of progress such as improvements seen in Latin America and reductions below pre-pandemic levels in some regions, global efforts must intensify to address widespread food insecurity and malnutrition effectively.

With inputs from WAM