New evidence continues to signal that hunger is rising globally.
A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates the number of hungry people in the world is growing, reaching 821 million in 2017 or one in every nine people. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 report released this week says limited progress is also being made in addressing the multiple forms of malnutrition, ranging from child stunting to adult obesity, putting the health of hundreds of millions of people at risk.
Data shows that global hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago. The reversal in progress, according to the report, “sends a clear warning that more must be done and urgently if the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger is to be achieved by 2030.”
The annual UN report found that climate variability affecting rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, and climate extremes such as droughts and floods, are among the key drivers behind the rise in hunger, together with conflict and economic slowdowns.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.