January 1, 2025
Photo: Ghana
"Despite incremental improvements, hunger remains a persistent global challenge. Urgent action is needed to prevent millions more from falling into food insecurity."
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World - or SOFI for short - is an annual report prepared by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and a number of United Nations organizations.
The report monitors the progress we're making in the fight against global hunger and looks at the challenges that still threaten food security for families around the world.
This year's report reveals that while some progress has been made, global hunger levels remain stubbornly high. Up to 757 million people may have faced hunger in the last years- one out of 11 people in the world. This is a slight improvement from the previous year but still far above pre-pandemic levels. Climate shocks, conflict, and economic instability continue to pose significant threats to food security in many regions, and the world remains far off track to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger.
Our team has reviewed the SOFI 2024 report and highlighted key facts and recommendations for you below, focusing on the state of food security in the communities we partner with globally. You can read the full report here.
SOFI Report Highlights
Key Facts
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2.3 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023 - this represents nearly 29% of the global population. This has remained unchanged for three consecutive years.
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Projections indicate that nearly 582 million people will still be chronically undernourished by 2030 if current trends continue. The largest burden of hunger remains concentrated in Africa, where one in five people face hunger.
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The gender gap in food security persists: Globally, women experience food insecurity at higher rates than men, with a 1.3 percentage point difference in 2023. The gap widened between 2019 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has since narrowed, though disparities remain, particularly in regions like Africa and parts of Latin America.
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About 2.8 billion people could not afford a healthy diet. In low-income countries, this was more pronounced with nearly 72% of the population unable to afford a nutritious, balanced diet.
WHAT IS MODERATE OR SEVERE FOOD INSECURITY?
People experience moderate food insecurity if they are uncertain about their ability to access food and have to limit the quantity and/or quality of the food they eat to get by.
People experience severe food insecurity if they run out of food at any time during the year or go an entire day or more without eating.
What should we do about it?
The SOFI 2024 report outlines several strategies for addressing global hunger. Here are key recommendations and how Kinvia donors are contributing to these efforts:
What are the challenges?
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Economic Inequality & Food Prices
Uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic means that disadvantaged communities are still struggling with livelihood and income losses. In many regions where Kinvia operates, high food inflation continues to strain household budgets, making nutritious food unaffordable for many families. -
Conflict & Global Supply Chains
Ongoing global conflicts have caused significant disruptions in global food markets. Many countries reliant on imports, such as Ghana and Uganda, have faced surging food and fertilizer prices, which have further strained food production and availability. -
Climate Change
Extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts, heavy rainfall, and unpredictable growing seasons, continue to challenge smallholder farmers. In East Africa, repeated droughts have decimated crops and livestock, pushing millions into hunger. In Bolivia, unpredictable weather patterns have affected rural livelihoods and food availability.
SOFI Recommendations
Enhance climate-resilient agriculture: With climate change increasingly threatening food systems, supporting farmers with resilient practices is crucial.
Promote gender equality: Women play a critical role in food production, yet they face systemic barriers in accessing resources. Supporting women’s empowerment can significantly improve food security.
Support smallholder farmers: Small-scale farmers produce about a third of the world’s food. Ensuring they have access to technology, markets, and financial services is essential to boosting food production and incomes.Kinvia Activities
Climate-Resilient Farming: Through programming like the SHINE project, Kinvia is helping smallholder farmers adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices. In Ghana and Ethiopia, farmers have been trained in drought-resistant crop cultivation and water conservation techniques, ensuring they can continue to grow food despite changing weather patterns.
Gender Equality Programs: Kinvia’s gender-responsive programming includes supporting women-led income generation initiatives and providing access to savings groups, business training, and agricultural inputs. In Uganda, women’s groups have seen increased incomes and improved household food security.
Nutrition Education: In partnership with local governments, Kinvia delivers nutrition education programs that teach families about healthy diets and food preparation. In Bolivia, gastronomy workshops have helped families diversify their diets and improve nutrition.
Other ways to support
Here’s how individuals can help support change for the world’s most food-insecure people.
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Explore the FAO’s interactive digital story, Putting a number on hunger, to learn more about global hunger and food security trends.
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Advocate for change by contacting your local representatives and urging them to support policies that promote sustainable agriculture and food security.
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Continue supporting organizations like Kinvia that are working on the ground to create long-term, sustainable solutions to hunger. Give a donation today.
The beginning of a turnaround
While the data on food insecurity around the world is disappointing, the FAO is optimistic about our collective ability to start making progress in the fight against global hunger.
“Investing in agrifood systems, addressing inequality, and making healthy diets accessible are essential steps towards achieving food security for all. The path forward is clear, but it requires urgent action from all sectors of society.” – 2024 SOFI Report
We at Kinvia are similarly hopeful for a more prosperous future thanks to the compassion and dedication of our supporters. With your partnership, we are able to provide programming that nourishes while addressing the root causes of food insecurity for children, youth, their families, and their communities. Thank you to all of our supporters for your generosity - together, we are creating a world in which everyone can thrive.
