The UN-led 2021 ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ Report finds that up to 811 million people globally are living in hunger amid the pandemic.
It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted progress towards many of the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending hunger. In fact, it’s looking more likely that the world won’t reach these goals any time soon – that is, if the global community continues “business as usual” instead of rethinking what’s possible and implementing new ways of thinking, being and acting to create a world that works for everyone.
The 2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report (SOFI) sets out this new reality. According to the report, up to 811 million people are living in chronic, persistent hunger – that is 161 million more people than in 2019. It says, “Conflict, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns are the major drivers slowing down progress [towards ending hunger], particularly where inequality is high. The COVID-19 pandemic made the pathway towards [Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger] even steeper.”
Additional Findings of the 2021 SOFI Report
- Nearly 420 million people living in hunger are in Asia, over 280 million live in Africa, and at least 60 million live in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Moderate or severe food insecurity has been climbing slowly for 6 years and now affects more than 30% of the world’s population.
- The rate of undernourishment rose from 8.4% in 2019 to 9.9% in 2020.
- Without significant modifications to the world’s current global strategy, around 660 million people may still live in hunger in 2030, the date set by the Sustainable Development Goals to achieve Zero Hunger.
The Hunger Project has always believed in a world that works for everyone. Clearly, with hundreds of millions of people still living without enough food – or the right kinds of food – to eat, the world isn’t working for anyone. Together as a global community, we need to continue finding new, bold approaches that go to the root cause of problems and create sustainable solutions. That’s what we’re doing at The Hunger Project. We’d love for you to join us on this exciting and meaningful mission. Interested in being part of the solution? Give now, sign up for our mailing list or follow us on social media.
The 2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report was published jointly 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 World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).