FAO report: 20% of African population undernourished, global hunger progress fragile
via SeneNews4 min read
A recent Food and Agriculture Organization FAO report indicates that 20% of Africa's population suffers from undernourishment, despite a slight global decrease in hunger. Last year, 645 million people, or 7.8% of the world's population, experienced hunger, a figure that could rise due to conflicts in the Middle East and climate shocks. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu stated that this 7.8% prevalence, the lowest ever recorded, shows that "hunger is not inevitable," but progress remains limited, uneven, and fragile. Africa is particularly affected, with 20% of its population experiencing chronic calorie deficiency. While the situation improved after the post-COVID economic crisis, it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The FAO projects that between 510 and 520 million people will be undernourished by 2030, with over half in Africa. David Laborde, Director of the Agri-Food Economics Division at the FAO, noted that the "center of gravity of hunger has shifted from Asia to Africa." He highlighted the resilience of farmers and food systems in preventing major famines despite international conflicts, climate shocks, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but warned of limited absorption capacity. Climate shocks are severely felt in Africa, and conflicts in Sudan, the Sahel region, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also impact access to land and income. The post-COVID economic rebound has created a "more unequal economic world," with growth not benefiting everyone. In addition to hunger,
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
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