Achieving zero hunger by 2030 unlikely as 733m people faced hunger in 2023

The latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation has revealed that 733 million people experienced hunger in 2023, representing one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa.

Published yesterday by five United Nations specialised agencies, the report indicates that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with undernourishment levels similar to those seen in 2008-2009.

The agencies include 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).

The agencies also predicted that around 582 million people would be chronically undernourished in 2030 if current trends continue.

The report warned that the world is significantly off track in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.

The report highlighted that despite some advancements in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, global hunger levels have stagnated for three consecutive years.

In 2023, between 713 and 757 million people were undernourished, about 152 million more than in 2019, with a mid-range estimate of 733 million.

Furthermore, the report noted a rising percentage of people facing hunger in Africa, now at 20.4 percent, while the percentage in Asia remains stable at 8.1 percent.

The lack of economic access to healthy diets also remains a critical issue, affecting over one-third of the global population.

The report said: “Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries.

“Major drivers like conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are becoming more frequent and severe.

“These issues, along with underlying factors such as unaffordable healthy diets, unhealthy food environments, and persistent inequality, are now coinciding simultaneously, amplifying their individual effects.”

The agencies added: “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.”