Food Insecurity in Practice

Sustainable Development Goal 2

  • Aim: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, promote sustainable agriculture.

  • Definition of food security: Access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food at all times.

Four Dimensions of Food Security

  • Availability: Sufficient quantities of food.

  • Access: Resources for acquiring sufficient, nutritious foods.

  • Utilization: Adequate diet, clean water, sanitation and healthcare.

  • Stability: Consistent access to food, free from risk of loss due to shocks.

Current Trends

  • Hunger decline: 8.7% in 2022 to 8.2% in 2024 (673 million people).

  • 2.6 billion people can't afford a healthy diet in 2024.

  • Food price inflation: from 2.3% in 2020 to 13.6% in 2023.

  • Major food insecurity in rural areas and among women.

Causes of Food Insecurity

  • Conflict, climate change, economic slowdowns.

Food Price Inflation and Impacts

  • Food price inflation is a major concern, affecting vulnerable groups.

  • Association with food security varies among demographics and regions.

FAO's Role and Tools

  • FAO assesses global food security and tracks trends.

  • Tools: Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA).

Trade and Food Security

  • Trade is vital for food systems; countries import a significant share of food.

  • Food trade has tripled since 1995, with increasing contributions from low- and middle-income countries.

Policy Recommendations

  • Promote transparent, fair markets.

  • Avoid export restrictions; focus on enhancing productivity and infrastructure.

Financing Needs and Gaps

  • Significant increase in investment needed to achieve SDG2.

  • Projected global financing gap of USD 6.4 trillion by 2030 for food security and nutrition.

Conclusion

  • Public-private partnerships essential for scaling investments to achieve food security and nutrition goals.