Vital Signs

Global Trendsin Chronic

Hunger

TEXT HERE

Although the proportion ofpeople experiencing chronic

hunger is decreasing globally, 1in 9 individuals still don't get

enough to eatU.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The State of Food and Agriculture (Rome: 2013).

TEXT HERE

Undernourishment is definedas an inability to take in

enough calories over at least 1year to meet dietary energy

requirements

802 million living with undernourishment in2012-2014, down more than 100 million

over the last decade

U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The State of Food and Agriculture (Rome: 2013).

TEXT HERE

This leads to undernutrition;a condition caused by a

deficient or imbalanced diet,or by poor absorbtion andbiological use of nutrients

within the body

Accounts for $1.4-$2.1 trillion per year, or2-3% of gross world product

World Food Programme, "Hunger Glossary," at www.wfp.org/hunger/glossary.U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The State of Food and Agriculture (Rome: 2013).

TEXT HERE

The vast majority ofundernourished people live in

developing countries

Here, 791 million people, or 1 in 8, werechronically hungry in 2012-2014

FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme(WFP), The State of Food Insecurity in the World: Strengthening the Enabling Environment for

Food Security and Nutrition (Rome: FAO, 2014).

TEXT HERE

Women and children areparticularly vulnerable to

nutritional deficiencies dueto biological and social

inequalities

Globally, undernutrition contributes tomore than 1/3 of child deaths

UNICEF, Improving Child Nutrition: The Achievable Imperative for Global Progress (New York: 2013).

TEXT HERE

The Millennium DevelopmentGoal 1c (MDG-1c) aims to halvethe proportion of the population

in developing countries whoare hungry from the 1990 base

year to the 2015 target year.This goal is within reach.

FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP), TheState of Food Insecurity in the World: Strengthening the Enabling Environment for Food Security and

Nutrition (Rome: FAO, 2014).

TEXT HERESince 1990-92, the prevalence

of chronic hunger fell from18.7% to 11.3% in 2012-2014, less

than 2% above the MDG-1ctarget

FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP), TheState of Food Insecurity in the World: Strengthening the Enabling Environment for Food Security and

Nutrition (Rome: FAO, 2014).

TEXT HERE

Latin America and the Caribbeanhave shown the greatest

reduction in undernourishmentand have already reached the

MDG-1c target

FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP),The State of Food Insecurity in the World: Strengthening the Enabling Environment for Food

Security and Nutrition (Rome: FAO, 2014).

TEXT HEREThe sub-Saharan region has by

far the highest prevelance ofchronic hunger of any region

1 in 4 people here are chronically hungry

FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme(WFP), The State of Food Insecurity in the World: Strengthening the Enabling Environment

for Food Security and Nutrition (Rome: FAO, 2014).

TEXT HERE

Asia as a whole is close toreaching the MDG-1c target

Yet because of their large population, 2out of 3 undernourished people in the

world live in this region

In west Asia the prevalence of chronichunger actually increased due topolitical and economic instability

FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Programme (WFP), TheState of Food Insecurity in the World: Strengthening the Enabling Environment for Food Security and

Nutrition (Rome: FAO, 2014).

TEXT HEREClimate change increases

food insecurity and thebreakdown of food systems.

This disproportionately affectspoorer populations.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2014: Impacts,Adaptation and Vulnerability (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2014).

TEXT HERE

World food prices have begunto come down since the

all-time peak in August 2012,but they remain high, and poor

households still spend asignificant portion of their

incomes on food.

FAO, FAO Statistical Yearbook 2014: Africa Food and Agriculture (Accra: 2014).

Full analysis, sources,and data available at:

http://bit.ly/16073jA

about us

WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE

VITAL SIGNS ONLINE

Through research and outreachthat inspire action, the WorldwatchInstitute works to accelerate thetransition to a sustainable worldthat meets human needs.

www.worldwatch.org

Vital Signs Online provides businessleaders, policymakers, and engagedcitizens with the latest data andanalysis to understand critical globaltrends.

vitalsigns.worldwatch.org