733 million people suffer from hunger globally: FAO

GENEVA, 15th October, 2024 (WAM) -- The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has reported that one in 11 people globally, or 733 million individuals, suffer from hunger, primarily due to conflicts, climate shocks, inequality, and economic downturns.

In a report issued today to mark its 79th anniversary on 16th October, the FAO added that over 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.

Approximately 148 million children under the age of five are shorter than average for their age, 45 million are severely underweight for their height, and 890 million adults suffer from obesity.

Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, stated in a press conference that while global farmers produce enough food to feed the world's population, there are significant imbalances across the globe.

Burgeon stressed that the right to adequate food encompasses not only freedom from hunger but also access to safe, nutritious, and culturally acceptable food that meets nutritional needs for an active and healthy life for everyone.

He called on governments to incorporate the right to food into agricultural and food system policies and to ensure equitable access to a diverse range of safe, nutritious, and affordable foods, particularly for vulnerable populations.

The international organisation emphasised the need for global cooperation to ensure safe and unobstructed access to humanitarian aid during crises to meet food needs. It urged businesses to positively impact the food environment by prioritising a variety of nutritious foods, investing responsibly in sustainable agriculture, ensuring decent working conditions, sharing innovative food technologies, and creating accountable, transparent, and inclusive business models and markets.