Five United Nations specialised agencies (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO) have published the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, which presents the updates on the food security and nutrition situation around the world.
The report outlined that the world is still “far off track” to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger.
The global prevalence of undernourishment, it shared, persists at nearly the same level for three consecutive years after having risen sharply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between 713 and 757 million people may have faced hunger in 2023 – one out of 11 people in the world, and one out of every five in Africa.
An estimated 28.9 per cent of the global population—2.33 billion people—were moderately or severely food insecure.
Progress towards the broader goal of ensuring regular access to adequate food for all has also stalled, while the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity has remained unchanged for three consecutive years at the global level.
That said, on hunger, it highlighted progress in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
But, inequalities are evident, the report said, with low-income countries having the largest percentage of the population that is unable to afford a healthy diet (71.5 per cent) compared with lower-middle-income countries (52.6 per cent), upper-middle-income countries (21.5 per cent) and high-income countries (6.3 per cent).
It noted that the lack of improvement in food security and the uneven progress in economic access to healthy diets cast a shadow over the possibility of achieving Zero Hunger in the world, six years away from the 2030 deadline.
The agencies noted that meeting SDG Targets 2.1 and 2.2 to end hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition requires increased and more cost-effective financing. However, it said that there is currently no clear picture of the financing for food security and nutrition – neither that available nor that additionally needed – to meet these targets.
A common definition and mapping of financing for food security and nutrition are urgently needed, it said.
According to the report, innovative, inclusive and equitable solutions are needed to scale up financing for food security and nutrition in countries with high levels of hunger and malnutrition.
However, many low- and middle-income countries face significant constraints in accessing affordable financing flows.
For countries with limited ability to access financing flows, grants and concessional loans are the most suitable options, it said.
Read the full report here.