World cuts hunger’s reach by 100 million people in decade | Food and Environment Reporting Network

Some 805 million people suffer from hunger around the world, or one in nine of the earth’s population, but the total is down by 100 million people in the past decade and by 200 million since 1990-92, says the United Nations. With the reduction, the world is within reach of the goal of cutting in half the hunger rate in developing nations by 2015 “if appropriate and immediate efforts are stepped up,” says the UN report State of Food Insecurity in the World.

The goal was set in 2000 and is measured from the 1990 hunger rate of 23.4 percent, making the target 11.7 percent. The rate is 13.5 percent now and would shrink to 12.8 percent next year if current trends continue, says a World Food Program official, who said progress is needed most in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia. WFP is working on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week to call attention to the Zero Hunger Challenge to eradicate hunger by 2025.

The State of Food Insecurity report says access to food has increased rapidly in countries with overall economic growth or social safety nets. But in sub-Saharan Africa, one-quarter of the population is chronically malnourished and Asia is home to the majority of the hungry, 526 million people. The number of undernourished people is unacceptably high, said the three agencies that produce the food report, in calling for collaboration by governments, business and civil society.

“Food insecurity and malnutrition are complex problems that cannot be solved by one sector or stakeholder alone, but need to be tackled in a coordinated way,” said the report.

The report is available here. The “top 10” hunger statistics are available here.