elpais.com
Global Hunger Remains High Despite Slight Decrease in 2024
The 2025 SOFI report reveals that 638-720 million people globally lacked sufficient food in 2024, despite slight improvement from 2023; hunger increased in most African regions and Western Asia, highlighting food system inequalities exacerbated by inflation and economic factors.
- How do food price inflation and macroeconomic factors contribute to global food insecurity, and which populations are most affected?
- Global hunger improvement is uneven, with significant progress in some regions masked by rising hunger in others, particularly in Africa where 60% of the world's hungry reside. This disparity highlights the persistent inequalities within the global food system, impacting 2.3 billion people experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024.
- What are the key findings of the 2025 SOFI report regarding global hunger and malnutrition, and what are the immediate implications?
- The 2025 SOFI report reveals that 638 to 720 million people (7.8%-8.8% of the global population) experienced insufficient food in 2024, a slight decrease from 2023 but still 22 million more than in 2015. While South/Southeast Asia and Latin America showed progress, hunger increased in almost all African regions and Western Asia.
- What policy recommendations are proposed to address the persistent challenge of global hunger, and what are the potential long-term impacts of insufficient action?
- Food price inflation, exceeding global inflation, is a major driver of food insecurity. This disproportionately affects women, rural households, and communities lacking social protection. High debt levels and currency devaluations in many food-importing countries, especially in Africa, exacerbate the issue.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The framing of the report is largely neutral, presenting data and expert opinions from various sources. However, the emphasis on the overall increase in hunger despite slight numerical improvement in some regions could be interpreted as highlighting a negative trend, potentially overshadowing positive developments in specific areas like South and Southeast Asia and Latin America. The concluding paragraphs focusing on the severe situation in Gaza could also influence the overall perception of the report's message.
Language Bias
The language used is generally neutral and objective. The report uses precise figures and quotes from experts to support its claims. However, the descriptions of the situation in Gaza as "extreme hunger" could be considered emotionally charged language, though this is arguably appropriate given the context. The repeated use of the word "devastating" to describe economic impact could be toned down to maintain objectivity.
Bias by Omission
The report focuses heavily on global hunger statistics and the impact of food inflation, but it could benefit from a more in-depth exploration of the specific political, economic, and social factors contributing to hunger in different regions. For example, while the report mentions conflict in the context of rising food prices, it doesn't delve into the complexities of conflict's impact on food security in specific regions. Similarly, the role of climate change and its disproportionate effect on vulnerable populations receives limited attention. The inclusion of case studies of successful interventions in various contexts beyond Latin America and Asia would provide a more nuanced understanding. The report also omits a discussion of the impact of agricultural subsidies and trade policies on global food security.
False Dichotomy
The report doesn't present a false dichotomy in its framing, but it could benefit from acknowledging the complexities of solutions to hunger. While the report suggests a combination of social protection and agricultural development policies, it doesn't adequately address the potential trade-offs or challenges in implementing such integrated solutions in diverse contexts.
Gender Bias
The report mentions the disproportionate impact of food insecurity on women, but this aspect isn't explored in detail. While the report acknowledges that women are particularly vulnerable, it lacks specific examples or data to illustrate this point, and it misses an opportunity to discuss the gendered division of labor in food production and access.
Sustainable Development Goals
The report highlights that the world is far from achieving the goal of eradicating hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Between 638 and 720 million people lacked sufficient food in 2024, a number that has only slightly decreased from 2023 and is 22 million higher than in 2015. The report details the persistent challenges in Africa and West Asia, where hunger continues to rise. The increasing cost of food, particularly impacting vulnerable populations, is identified as a major contributing factor. The report also points out that while global food production is sufficient, millions still experience hunger due to lack of access and affordability.