Food (in)security in the world – simple facts DevelopmentAid

Food security is one of the basic human needs. Ensuring unrestricted access to sufficient food for the world’s poorest communities is a major goal for a myriad of international (donor) organizations. Attaining this goal has become significantly challenging in the midst of the pandemic crisis as more than 148 million people became food insecure in 2020 alone. Based on current trends, it seems very unlikely that ending hunger and food security will be achieved by 2030 unless some bold action is taken. This article defines food security, explains the impact of the pandemic on the progress of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and presents some statistics on food security in 2021.

Understanding food security

Food security refers to the situation where people have unrestricted access to sufficient and nutritious food to meet their dietary preferences and needs for a healthy and active life. The concept of food security can be expanded to encompass households, communities, or countries. In this context, household food security is the degree to which families have access to sufficient and nutritious food. As an operational concept, the term has undergone some essential modifications over the last 25 years moving the focus from primarily food supply problems towards food safety and nutritional balance. The main dimensions of food security are:

Food availability – refers to the availability of sufficient quantities of good quality food that have been locally produced, imported or donated through aid programs
Food access – refers to the unrestricted commodity bundles that offer access to adequate amounts of nutritious food
Utilization – this refers to the non-food aspects of food security. Thus, besides acquiring sufficient quantities of good quality food, a person must have access to clean water, sanitation, and health care to achieve nutritional wellbeing
Stability – achieving food security requires constant access to an adequate quantity of food at all times

Reassessing the SDG #2

Back in 2015, the United Nations (UN) launched the Sustainable Development Goals program that includes 17 interlinked objectives that are designed to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Within this framework, Goal #2 aims to ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’. However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was not on track to reach this goal. Moreover, the ongoing crisis has made accomplishing it significantly more challenging taking into consideration the fact that in 2020 about 768 million people were facing hunger which is 118 million more than in 2019. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that climate change, conflicts, the COVID-19 crisis, and economic turbulence are the most important factors slowing progress in the reduction of all forms of malnutrition. Moreover, it states that the key to overturning this decline lies in transforming food systems.

“A food system represents the totality of actors, activities, and processes that relate to the production, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food products”

Food security in 2021 – facts and statistics

In 2020, around 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food –a 320 million increase compared to 2019
In 2020, about 765.5 million people worldwide faced hunger with the number of undernourished people increasing by 161 million compared to 2019
About 3 billion people globally were unable to access sufficient and nutritious food necessary to maintain a healthy diet in 2020
Africa and Asia still account for the highest rates of child malnutrition. In 2020, about 149.2 million children globally were affected by stunting, 45.4 million children were suffering from wasting and another 38.9 million children were overweight
Adult obesity continues to increase at regional (Asia-Pacific, North America, Middle East) and global levels
Based on current projections, FAO estimates that hunger will not be eradicated by 2030 unless bold action is taken to accelerate progress
Overall, about 928 million people or 12 % of the global population were severely food insecure in 2020, representing an increase of 148 million compared to 2019.

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