Global Hunger: Top Five Things You Need to Know

The annual State of Food Insecurity report (SOFI) is a global benchmark that measures progress or decline in achieving a #zerohunger world. This year’s report from the world’s top five hunger-fighting agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), sends a clear message: We’re going to need incredibly bold solutions and urgent action if we have any hope of eliminating hunger.

Here are the top 5 findings you need to know about the current state of global hunger.

1. The number of hungry people has risen for the third year in a row. Today, 1 in 9 people don’t have enough to eat.

 

2. Malnutrition in children has gone down slightly, but not enough and not fast enough.

 

3. Asia is home to the largest number of hungry people, with more than 12 percent of its population undernourished today, but Africa has the highest rate of hunger, at 31 percent of its population.

 

4. Man-made conflict is the #1 cause of hunger. Climate change is the 2nd.

 

5. Malnourishment doesn’t just refer to lack of food, it includes those who are overweight as well. Today, while there are 821 million hungry people, there are also more than 1 billion overweight children and adults.

 

Each of these findings underscores the report’s primary conclusion: Hunger is driven by global, systemic inequalities, which is why economic growth alone is not the solution. Policy makers, business leaders and technology developers must place the prosperity and wellbeing of marginalized and poor people at the core of their efforts.

We have 10 years left to turn the tide on hunger. Help us reach our 2030 vision.

The 2019 The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report is co-authored by United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Food Programme (WFP).