In News:

Hunger affected up to 720 million people worldwide in 2024 — around 8.2 per cent of the global population, while 2.3 billion people in the world were estimated to have been moderately or severely food insecure, according to the ‘State of Food and Nutrition in the World’ (SOFI) 2025.

Key Highlights:

• Released by: Jointly published by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO.
• Purpose:
• Annual global assessment to monitor progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2:
  • Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious food.
  • Target 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition.

Key Global Findings (2024 Data)

• Chronic Hunger:
  • 720 million people (approx. 8.2% of global population) suffered from chronic hunger in 2024.
  • Although lower than 8.5% (2023) and 8.7% (2022), it remains above pre-pandemic (2015) levels.
  • 96 million more people are hungry now than in 2015.
• Food Insecurity:
  • 2.3 billion people were moderately or severely food insecure in 2024.
  • This is 335 million more than in 2019 (pre-COVID) and 683 million more than in 2015.
• Regional Distribution:
  • Asia: 323 million undernourished (highest in absolute numbers).
  • Africa: 307 million (highest prevalence, over 20% of population).
  • Latin America & Caribbean: 34 million.
• Trends & Progress:
  • Modest improvements in Southeast Asia, Southern Asia, and South America.
  • Worsening hunger in parts of Africa and Western Asia due to conflict and climate stress.

Projections for 2030

• By 2030, 512 million people (6% of global population) may remain chronically undernourished.
  • A decline of only 65 million since 2015, far short of the Zero Hunger target.
  • 60% of these undernourished people are projected to be in Africa, with 17.6% prevalence.

India-Specific Insights

• Nutritional Affordability:
  • 6% of Indians cannot afford a healthy diet despite food surplus.
  • Urban areas show improvement due to post-pandemic income recovery.
  • Rural areas face continued hardship due to PDS inefficiencies and price volatility.
• Child Malnutrition:
  • High rates of stunting and wasting persist.
  • Micronutrient deficiencies (hidden hunger) are common due to cereal-heavy diets lacking diversity.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Strengthen inclusion of millets, pulses, and fortified foods in public nutrition schemes.
  • Address regional and demographic disparities through targeted interventions.

Major Drivers of Food Insecurity

• Post-COVID Aftermath: Reversed a decade of gains in global food security.
• Climate Events: Floods, droughts, and heatwaves have disrupted food systems.
• Conflicts & Wars: Ongoing wars (e.g. Ukraine) have triggered food price inflation and supply disruptions.
• Inflation:
  • Since 2020, food price inflation has outpaced general inflation globally.
  • Disproportionately affects low-income and vulnerable populations.

SOFI 2025: Recommendations

• Protect vulnerable populations via targeted fiscal support.
• Align macroeconomic policies to stabilize food markets.
• Invest in resilient agrifood systems and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
• Strengthen food and nutrition data systems for informed policymaking.
• Promote dietary diversity and nutrition education.

SDG Context & Governance

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) is among the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015.
• These are non-binding, but serve as guiding principles for national policy and international cooperation.
• The SOFI report tracks progress annually against Targets 2.1 & 2.2.
• With only 5 years left to 2030, the current pace is inadequate for achieving global food and nutrition targets.