FAO-IFAD-UNICEF-WFP-WHO Joint Press Release
July 24th, 2024
Rio de Janeiro – Approximately 733 million people experienced hunger in 2023 – one in every 11 people globally and one in every five in Africa, according to the latest report, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI), released today by five specialised agencies of the United Nations.
The annual report, launched this year against the backdrop of the Ministerial Meeting in Brazil for a G20 Task Force for a Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, warns that the world is severely off-track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030. The report reveals that the world has regressed 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those of 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in specific areas, such as stunting and exclusive breastfeeding rates, an alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have stagnated for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million undernourished people in 2023 – approximately 152 million more than in 2019, considering the mid-range estimate (733 million).
Regional trends vary significantly: the percentage of the population experiencing hunger is increasing in Africa (20.4%), remained stable in Asia (8.1%) – though still a significant challenge as the region hosts more than half of those facing hunger worldwide – and showed progress in Latin America (6.2%). From 2022 to 2023, hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African sub-regions.
If current trends continue, approximately 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, half of them in Africa, warn the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). This projection closely approaches levels seen in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted, marking a concerning stagnation.
Key findings beyond hunger
The report highlights that access to adequate food remains out of reach for billions of people. In 2023, about 2.33 billion individuals worldwide faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has not changed significantly since the sharp increase in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, going without food for a full day or more. This number has remained persistently high since 2020. While Latin America has shown improvement, broader challenges persist, especially in Africa, where 58% of the population faces moderate or severe food insecurity.
The lack of economic access to healthy diets also remains a critical issue, affecting over one-third of the global population. With new data on food prices and methodological improvements, the publication reveals that over 2.8 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2022. This disparity is most pronounced in low-income countries, where 71.5% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet, compared to 6.3% in high-income countries. Notably, the number has dropped below pre-pandemic levels in Asia, North America, and Europe, while it has increased substantially in Africa.
While there is progress in increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding among children up to six months, reaching 48%, achieving global nutrition goals will be a challenge. The prevalence of low birthweight has plateaued around 15%, and stunting in children under five, although decreased to 22.3%, still lags far behind targets. Additionally, the prevalence of wasting in children has not shown significant improvement, while anaemia among women aged 15-49 has increased.
Similarly, new estimates of adult obesity have shown a steady increase over the past decade, from 12.1% (2012) to 15.8% (2022). Projections indicate that the world will have over 1.2 billion obese adults by 2030. The multiple burden of malnutrition – the coexistence of undernutrition alongside overweight and obesity – has also increased globally across all age groups. Thinness and low weight have decreased in the past two decades, while obesity has risen sharply.
These trends underscore the complex challenges of malnutrition in all its forms and the urgent need for targeted interventions, as the world is not on track to achieve any of the seven global nutrition targets by 2030, according to the five agencies.
Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persistent food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries. Key triggering factors such as conflicts, climate change, and economic slowdowns are becoming more frequent and severe. These issues, along with underlying factors such as inaccessible healthy diets, unhealthy food environments, and persistent inequality are now occurring simultaneously, amplifying their individual effects.
Funding to end hunger
This year’s report theme, “Financing to end hunger, food insecurity, and all forms of malnutrition”, emphasises that achieving SDG 2, Zero Hunger, requires a multifaceted approach, including the transformation and strengthening of agri-food systems, combating inequalities, and ensuring affordable and accessible healthy diets for all. The publication calls for larger and more effective financing, with a clear and standardised definition of financing for food security and nutrition.
The heads of the five UN agencies, FAO Director-General Mr. QU Dongyu; IFAD President Mr. Alvaro Lario; UNICEF Executive Director Ms. Catherine Russell; WFP Executive Director Ms. Cindy McCain; and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, write in the report’s foreword: “Estimating the gap in financing for food security and nutrition and mobilizing innovative ways of financing to bridge it must be among our top priorities. Policies, legislation and interventions to end hunger and ensure all people have access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food (SDG Target 2.1), and to end all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) need significant resource mobilization. They are not only an investment in the future, but our obligation. We strive to guarantee the right to adequate food and nutrition of current and future generations.”
As highlighted during a recent event at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York, the report underscores that the imminent funding shortfall requires innovative and equitable solutions, particularly for countries facing high levels of hunger and malnutrition, exacerbated by climate impacts.
Countries most in need of increased funding face significant challenges in accessing it. Among the 119 low- and middle-income countries analysed, approximately 63% have limited or moderate access to funding. Additionally, most of these countries (74%) are affected by one or more major factors contributing to food insecurity and malnutrition. Coordinated efforts to harmonise data, increase risk tolerance, and improve transparency are vital to bridging this gap and strengthening global frameworks for food security and nutrition.
What they said
Director-General of FAO, QU Dongyu: “Transforming agri-food systems is more critical than ever as we face the urgency of achieving the SDGs within six years. FAO remains committed to supporting countries in their efforts to eradicate hunger and ensure food security for all. We will work together with all partners and approaches, including the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, to accelerate the necessary changes. Together, we must innovate and collaborate to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems that can better withstand future challenges for a better world.”
President of IFAD, Alvaro Lario: “It is proven that the fastest way to end hunger and poverty is through investments in agriculture in rural areas. However, the global financial landscape has become much more complex since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Ending hunger and malnutrition requires us to invest more – and smarter. We must introduce new funds from the private sector into the system and reignite the pandemic-era appetite for ambitious global financial reform that ensures cheaper financing for the countries most in need.”
Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell: “Malnutrition affects a child’s survival, physical growth, and brain development. Global rates of stunting have dropped by a third, or 55 million children, over the past two decades, demonstrating that investments in maternal and child nutrition yield results. However, worldwide, one in four children under five suffers from malnutrition, which can cause long-term damage. We must urgently increase funding to end child malnutrition. The world can and should do it. It’s not just a moral imperative but also a sound investment in the future.”
Executive Director of WFP, Cindy McCain: “A hunger-free future is possible if we can mobilise the resources and political will needed to invest in proven long-term solutions. I urge G20 leaders to follow Brazil’s example and prioritise ambitious global action against hunger and poverty. We have the technologies and knowledge to end food insecurity – but we urgently need funds to invest on a large scale. WFP is ready to step up our collaboration with governments and partners to address the root causes of hunger, strengthen social safety nets, and support sustainable development so that all families can live in dignity.”
Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “The progress we’ve made in reducing chronic malnutrition and improving exclusive breastfeeding shows that the challenges we face are not insurmountable. We must use these achievements as motivation to alleviate the suffering millions face worldwide every day due to hunger, food insecurity, unhealthy diets, and malnutrition. The significant investment required in healthy, safe, and sustainably produced food is much smaller than the costs to economies and societies if we do nothing.”
The SOFI Report
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is an annual report jointly prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since 1999, the publication has been monitoring and analysing global progress towards eradicating hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition. It also provides an in-depth analysis of the main challenges to achieving these goals within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report targets a broad audience, including policymakers, international organizations, academic institutions, and the general public.
This year’s theme is timely and relevant in preparation for the Future Summit and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025.