The world is not on target to achieve zero hunger – UN Global Goal 2 – by 2030, according to today’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.
Hunger is rising, the report shows. The number of people who went hungry last year rose by 10 million from 2018, to 690 million. And the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to push 130 million more people ‘into chronic hunger’ by the close of this year.
To reverse this direction of travel, the report calls for a swift transition to healthier diets, as a solution to reduce hunger levels and generate massive savings. The study calculates that such a transition can wipe out the US$ 1.3 annual costs associated with unhealthy eating habits. While also slashing three-quarters of the US$ 1.7 trillion diet-linked social costs of emissions.
Full reaction to the SOFI report from our Editor-at-large Marc Buckley.
The SOFI report is produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (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).