2023-07-13 05:01:00
From Rome
In 2023, 122 million more people are hungry than in 2019, before the pandemic began. And this is due to multiple crises, political and economic in many countries, and local conflicts, but also the war in Ukraine. At first, in February 2022, the war blocked the export of agricultural products from Ukraine and the export of Russian oil. And both measures pushed up prices around the world, especially for food.
Indeed, in 2023 there are 735 million people suffering from hunger in the world, compared to 613 million in 2019. And these data mean that ending hunger by 2030, which several countries and organizations had set as objectives international, it will be very difficult to comply.
famine in africa
The “World Report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World”, where all these data appear, was prepared by five United Nations agencies, including the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). , IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), the World Food Program (all three with global bases in Rome), in addition to the WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund).
According to an IFAD statement, in many places there have been improvements but in others the situation has become much worse. In 2022, progress in reducing hunger was observed in some regions of Asia and Latin America. But instead it continued to rise in Western Asia and many parts of Africa. Africa continues to be the most affected area since “one in five people faces hunger, more than double the world average,” the statement said. In Africa about 20% of the population suffers from hunger while in Asia 8.5%, 6.5% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 7% in Oceania.
Latin America progresses
“The only region that has shown progress in terms of food security is Latin America, especially South America,” the Report said. Some of the data published by the Report and referring to Latin America are significant. In the Caribbean, malnourished people in relation to the total population were 18.4% in 2004-2006, but Haiti far exceeded that figure, reaching 51.8% of the population. Between 2020 and 2022, malnutrition decreased in both cases: the Caribbean reached 15% and Haiti 45% of the population.
In Central America, the countries that suffered the most malnutrition among their population in 2004-2006 were Guatemala (19.4%), Honduras (22.6%) and Nicaragua (22.9%). In 2020-2022 Guatemala decreased to 13.3, Honduras to 18.7% and Nicaragua to 17.8%.
In South America, the countries with the most undernourished in 2004-2006 were Bolivia (27.1%), Ecuador (22.3%) and Venezuela (8.3). But in the period 2020-2022 Venezuela increased to 17.8% while the other states decreased, Bolivia to 19.1 and Ecuador to 13.9%.
The three countries with the least problems in this regard in South America are Chile (3.2 and 2.5% of undernourished people in 2004-2006 and 2020-2022 respectively), Uruguay (2.9 and 2.5%) and Argentina (3 .8 and 3.2%)
“There are glimmers of hope, some regions are on track to meet certain nutrition targets by 2030. Overall though, we need an immediate intense global effort to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals. We must build resilience in the face of crises and shocks that cause food insecurity, from conflict to climate,” Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, said in a video message during the launch of the report at United Nations Headquarters. In New York.
Attention to super urbanization
The report also discusses increased urbanization as a “megatrend” affecting what and how people eat food. With almost 7 out of 10 people projected to live in cities by 2050, governments and others working to combat hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition must try to understand these urbanization trends and take them into account when formulating their decisions. policies. To effectively promote food security and nutrition, policy interventions, measures and investments must be guided by a greater understanding of the complex and changing relationship between rural-urban and agri-food systems, the Report stated. .
Food insecurity, the report said, affects more people living in rural areas. Moderate or severe food insecurity affects 33% of adults living in rural areas and 26% of those living in urban areas. “Child malnutrition also shows urban and rural particularities: the prevalence of stunting in children is higher in rural areas (35.8%) than in urban areas (22.4%),” the Fida statement concluded.
Another alarming thing that the data from the Report says is that the consumption of super-processed foods is also increasing worldwide, especially in rural and peripheral areas, and this helps the growth of obesity, especially in children and young people.
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