Global hunger drops, as fewer people go hungry

Theseus ShambareGLOBAL hunger dropped slightly in 2024, with encouraging signs of recovery in many regions, according to the United Nations’ State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report released recently.The study, unveiled during the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, estimates that 8,2 percent of the global population — about 673 million people — experienced hunger last year, down from 8,5 percent in 2023 and 8,7 percent in 2022.This represents 15 million fewer people going hungry compared to the previous year.While the report notes varied trends across regions, Africa’s figures, with over 307 million people affected, also reflect a strong commitment by many countries to improve food systems despite climate shocks, economic pressures and other challenges.National programmes to improve agricultural productivity, nutrition and resilience are helping to strengthen the continent’s food security outlook.Southern Asia and Latin America showed marked improvements.In Asia, the prevalence of undernourishment fell from 7,9 percent in 2022 to 6,7 percent (323 million people) in 2024.Latin America and the Caribbean saw rates drop to 5,1 percent (34 million people), continuing the recovery from the pandemic years.“While it is encouraging to see a decrease in the global hunger rate, progress is uneven,” said FAO Director General Qu Dongyu.“We must intensify efforts to ensure everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. That means building on the successes we see in many countries, including across Africa.”Global food inflation, which surged between 2021 and 2023 due to supply chain disruptions, conflict, and extreme weather, has slowed but continues to influence food access.The number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 2,76 billion in 2019 to 2,60 billion in 2024, with improvements in several African nations through targeted subsidies, local production boosts, and market access initiatives.The report, produced by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, also shows progress on nutrition: child stunting has declined globally from 26,4 percent in 2012 to 23,2 percent in 2024, while exclusive breastfeeding rates for infants under six months rose to 47,8 percent in 2023.SOFI 2025 projects that with sustained investment, innovation, and policy support, the world can significantly reduce chronic undernourishment by 2030, with Africa playing a leading role in advancing the global goal of Zero Hunger.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave

Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald

Source: Zimbabwe Herald