TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE CONTEXT: In 2023, one in eleven people worldwide faced hunger, a stark reminder of the challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.
EXPLANATION:
- The latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, published on July 24, underscores the severity of this issue.
- It estimates that between 713 and 757 million people experienced hunger last year.
- This alarming figure signals that the world is significantly behind in its efforts, with undernourishment levels akin to those in 2008-2009.
State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI)
- The SOFI report is a collaborative effort by five specialized United Nations agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (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 Organization (WHO).
- These organizations have combined their expertise to provide a comprehensive overview of the global food security situation.
Widespread Food Insecurity
- In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has remained relatively unchanged since the sharp increase during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
- Of these, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, often going without food for an entire day or more.
Regional Disparities in Hunger
- Hunger trends vary significantly across regions.
- In Africa, 20.4% of the population faced hunger in 2023, making it the region with the highest percentage of hungry people.
- Asia had the largest number of people facing hunger, with 384.5 million individuals, which is more than half of the global total.
- In Latin America and the Caribbean, 41.0 million people faced hunger, while Oceania had 3.3 million.
- Hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African subregions from 2022 to 2023.
Projections for 2030
- The report warns that if current trends continue, about 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, with half of them in Africa.
- This projection mirrors the levels seen in 2015 when the SDGs were adopted, indicating a concerning lack of progress.
Unaffordable Healthy Diets
- New estimates reveal that more than one-third of the global population, approximately 2.8 billion people, could not afford a healthy diet in 2022.
- This issue is most pronounced in low-income countries, where 71.5% of the population cannot afford healthy food.
- In lower-middle-income countries, this figure is 52.6%, 21.5% in upper-middle-income countries, and 6.3% in high-income countries.
- The situation has improved in Asia, North America, and Europe but has worsened in Africa.
Key Drivers of Food Insecurity
- The report identifies several key factors driving food insecurity, undernourishment, and hunger.
- These include conflict, climate variability and extremes, economic slowdowns, and downturns.
- These issues are compounded by long-standing problems such as lack of access to affordable healthy diets, unhealthy food environments, and persistent inequality.
- These drivers are not only increasing in frequency and intensity but are also often occurring simultaneously, exacerbating the situation.
SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/food/1-in-11-people-faced-hunger-globally-in-2023-sofi-report
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