Biotech Updates

Hunger Levels Reach Record High, 735 Million People Struggling

July 19, 2023

Around 735 million people are struggling with hunger, according to the latest report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) released by five agencies of the United Nations. Compared with the 2019 data, the count has increased by over 122 million, which is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as repeated weather shocks and conflicts.

The specialized agencies that compiled the report include 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 Health Organization (WHO), and the World Food Programme (WFP). They said that if the hunger trends continue to be the same in the next few years, the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030 will not be achieved.

“There are rays of hope, some regions are on track to achieve some 2030 nutrition targets. But overall, we need an intense and immediate global effort to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals. We must build resilience against the crises and shocks that drive food insecurity-from conflict to climate,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres via video during the report launch at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Read the news release from FAO or download the report for more information.


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