In light of the widespread hunger crisis worldwide, the most recent State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, released by five United Nations specialised agencies, indicates that more than 500 million people may be at risk of malnutrition by 2030.
In 2023, 733 million people, or one in eleven people worldwide and one in five in Africa were projected to be hungry.
The annual report cautions that the world is far from reaching Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.
It was released this year in conjunction with the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting in Brazil.
According to the research, the world has regressed by fifteen years, and the levels of undernourishment are on par with those observed between 2008 and 2009.
The number of people experiencing food insecurity and malnutrition is concerning, as global hunger levels have stabilised for three years running.
Between 713 and 757 million people were undernourished in 2023, roughly 152 million more than in 2019 when the mid-range of 733 million people is taken into account.
This is in spite of some progress being made in specific areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding.
The percentage of the population that suffers from hunger varies greatly by region.
In Africa, it is still rising (20.4%), while in Asia it is stable (8.1%), still posing a serious challenge (as the region is home to over half of the world’s hunger), and in Latin America, it is improving (6.2%).
Hunger rose in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and the majority of African subregions in 2022–2023.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) warn that if current trends continue, about 582 million people—half of them in Africa—will be chronically undernourished in 2030.
This estimate indicates a worrisome stagnation in progress, as it closely resembles the levels observed in 2015, the year the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted.
The report emphasises how billions of people still lack access to enough food.
2.33 billion people worldwide had moderate-to-severe food insecurity in 2023; this figure has not moved much since the COVID-19 pandemic-related rapid increase in 2020.
Of them, more than 864 million suffered from extreme food insecurity, often going for a full day or longer without eating.
Although there has been improvement in Latin America, there are still significant issues, particularly in Africa, where 58% of the population experiences moderate to severe food insecurity.
This ratio has stayed persistently high since 2020.
Over one-third of the world’s population is affected by the significant issue of lack of financial access to nutritious foods. Based on updated food price statistics and improved methodology, the publication reveals that in 2022, over 2.8 billion individuals could not afford a nutritious meal.
The difference is greatest in low-income nations, where 71.5 percent of people cannot afford a nutritious food, whereas in high-income nations, the percentage is only 6.3 percent.
Notably, the population significantly grew in Africa but fell below pre-pandemic levels in Asia, North America, and Europe.
While rates of exclusive breastfeeding among babies have increased to 48%, there will be challenges in meeting global nutrition standards.
The prevalence of low birthweight has stabilised at 15%, and although stunting among children under five has decreased to 22.3%, it is still below the desired level.
Furthermore, there has been no discernible reduction in the prevalence of wasting in children, despite a rise in anaemia among women between the ages of 15 and 49.
Furthermore, updated estimates of adult obesity indicate a consistent rise over the last ten years, from 12.1% in 2012 to 15.8% in 2022.
According to projections, there will be more than 1.2 billion obese adults worldwide by 2030. Across all age categories, the twin burden of malnutrition—the co-existence of undernutrition and overweight and obesity—has also increased globally.
Over the past 20 years, there has been a noticeable decrease in underweight and thinness while an increase in obesity.
The world is not on track to meet any of the seven global nutrition targets by 2030, according to the five organisations, and these trends highlight the complex issues surrounding malnutrition in all of its manifestations and the urgent need for focused interventions.
The theme of this year’s report, “Financing to end hunger, food insecurity, and all forms of malnutrition,” highlights the need for a multifaceted strategy to achieve SDG 2 Zero Hunger, including improving and transforming agrifood systems, addressing inequality, and making sure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food.
It demands more money, more efficiently, and a uniformly defined notion of financing for nutrition and food security.
