Despite a stagnant global economy, the world made progress against hunger, says the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in an annual report: “For the first time in modern history, the number of people living in extreme poverty fell below 10 percent of the global population and the global rate of under-nutrition was expected to fall below 11 percent.” IFPRI singled out Bangladesh and Ethiopia for halving hunger rates since the 1990s.
“However, natural shocks, continued conflict and rising numbers of refugees exacerbated persistent hunger and malnutrition in some parts of the world,” says an IFPRI synopsis. “The 2015-15 El Nino weather event caused poor harvests in many countries around the world.”
The report said rapid urbanization, especially in developing countries, is making poverty and malnutrition into urban problems. Over half of the world population is urban at present, forecast to rise to 66 percent by 2050, with the increase concentrated in East Asia, South Asia and Africa. “Urbanization and population growth are expected to put mounting pressure on the global food system as agricultural production comes under stress from environmental degradation, climate change and extreme weather conditions,” said IFPRI.