This article examines the global issue of increasing hunger and malnutrition as highlighted in the ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ study. This report is authoritative worldwide data revealing progress towards ending these issues. The ‘Zero Hunger’ Sustainable Development Goal (2) for 2030 seems a challenging target, considering recent trends. Five reputable organizations collaborate to produce the study: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Rising Levels of Hunger
Recent findings show a disturbing rise in global hunger. Data from 2019 reveals that approximately 690 million people experienced hunger, which represents an increase of 10 million from 2018 and nearly 60 million across five years (2014-2019). Hunger, understood as a distressing physical sensation due to inadequate dietary energy intake, aligns with FAO’s concept of “undernourishment,” which has been used for decades to estimate global hunger.
Unchanging Trend of Chronic Hunger
Chronic hunger, after showing steady reductions for several years, began to rise again in 2014 and has continued this upward trend since then. No significant changes in this pattern have been observed since 2000.
Regional Hunger Hotspots
The region with the highest number of hungry individuals is Asia (381 million), followed by Africa (250 million), and lastly Latin America and the Caribbean, which together account for 48 million. Africa’s rate of undernourishment is double that of Asia, and it is predicted that Africa will contain more than half the world’s chronically hungry people by 2030.
Impact of Covid-19
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic might compound these problems, potentially pushing more than 130 million additional people into chronic hunger by the end of 2020. High costs and low affordability are primary reasons for this steep increase in global hunger.
Increasing Malnutrition
Affordability is also a key factor in rising levels of malnutrition. The study estimates that over 3 billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet. This issue particularly affects sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, where 57% of the population suffer from it. High costs of nutritious foods and low affordability of healthy diets for many families are the main causes behind the global malnutrition epidemic. A healthy diet is far more expensive than USD 1.90/day, the international poverty threshold, making healthy nutrition inaccessible for many.
Effects on Children
Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition. The study reports that, in 2019, nearly a third of children under five were stunted (too short) or wasted (too thin). Additionally, another 38 million under-five were overweight.
Suggested Solutions
Switching to healthier diets could help address growing hunger problems and yield enormous savings. Transforming food systems could reduce the cost of nutritious foods and increase their affordability. Governments are encouraged to embed nutrition into their policies, work on reducing cost-inflating factors in the food process, support small-scale producers, prioritize children’s nutrition, foster behavioral changes through education and communication, and include nutrition strategies in social protection systems.
Way Forward
This study serves as a reminder of the large scale of global hunger, calling for immediate attention and innovative strategies from governments and societies. Strategies such as shifting towards more nutritious ‘Smart Food’ can help reduce this pressing world issue.
