New data on world hunger: we are not doing well

Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia record the highest levels of hunger in the world. Does UN Goal 2.1, which reads: “By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round”, seem destined to slip further out of reach?

The causes

One of the main factors contributing to the spread of hunger is the endemic poverty present in many nations of the world.
To this is clearly added climate change, which weighs heavily in worsening the problem.
Extreme weather conditions such as drought, floods and storms can destroy entire harvests and drastically reduce food production.
Another type of factor is health-related: epidemics and pandemics above all.
Then there are political factors. Armed conflicts under way in various parts of the world make access to humanitarian aid difficult: war prevents people from having access to food and essential health services.
The lack of education, which also affects food-related matters, should not be underestimated either. Nor should the exploitation of territories by third countries, including the phenomenon of land grabbing, which came to prominence in the early years of the new millennium.

In conclusion

The world’s poorest nations need quick and effective solutions to tackle rampant hunger.
One of the first solutions is certainly to invest in agriculture and develop innovative technologies that allow higher crop yields.

Food aid provided by international organisations can be a valuable resource for populations hit by hunger. However, these interventions must always be accompanied by long-term projects that allow communities to become self-sufficient in the long run.

Another possible solution, objectively complex to put into practice, is to work on the fair distribution of food resources globally. Some very wealthy nations waste enormous amounts of food, while others struggle to guarantee daily meals for their citizens.

Finally, the challenge is to educate young people about sustainable agriculture and the proper management of natural resources. This can certainly help raise awareness of the problems linked to hunger, and encourage the new generations to act concretely to find solutions to the global tragedy, which does not seem to be easing, of 800 million human beings who cannot feed themselves.