SOFI 2026: Hunger not inevitable, FAO says as global food security improves - NaijaAgroNet

The world has recorded three consecutive years of progress in reducing hunger, offering renewed hope that the global food crisis could be reversed through stronger agricultural investment, social protection, and resilient food systems, reports NaijaAgroNet

Presenting the 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report in Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Director-General QU Dongyu said the latest figures demonstrate that hunger is not an unavoidable global reality, but a challenge that can be overcome through deliberate policy action and sustained investment in agriculture.

According to the report, an estimated 645 million people, representing 7.8 percent of the world’s population, experienced hunger in 2025. This represents nearly 14 million fewer people than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than the peak recorded in 2022.

The report also showed a significant improvement in food insecurity. About 2.1 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, a decline of 86 million people from the previous year, with the strongest gains recorded in South America and Asia, particularly Southern Asia.

“These numbers are important because they show that hunger is not inevitable,” Qu said during the launch at FAO headquarters. “With strong economic policies, social protection and sustained investments in more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, we can bend the hunger curve.”

The report was jointly prepared by FAO and partner UN agencies, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Food Programme (WFP). Government ministers from Brazil, Senegal, the Dominican Republic, and Uzbekistan also shared their countries’ experiences in tackling hunger and malnutrition.

For Africa, however, the report presents a mixed picture. The continent recorded its first decline in hunger prevalence since 2017, with the rate falling from 20.3 percent in 2024 to 20.0 percent in 2025. While this marks an important turning point, the report estimates that 309 million Africans remain undernourished, and rapid population growth means the absolute number of hungry people could still rise in the coming years.

For countries such as Nigeria, the findings underscore the urgency of increasing investment in agricultural productivity, irrigation, storage infrastructure, rural transport, and climate-resilient farming systems. The report suggests that improving agricultural output alone will not be sufficient unless food systems are strengthened from production to consumption.

Beyond hunger, SOFI 2026 warns that nearly one-third of the world’s population still cannot afford a healthy diet. Although food production has increased in many regions, nutritious foods remain expensive because costs accumulate across storage, processing, transportation, and retail. Weak cold-chain infrastructure, unreliable electricity, poor rural roads, and inefficient markets continue to drive up the prices of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and animal-source foods, limiting access for low-income households.

For African consumers and smallholder farmers, this means that food availability does not automatically translate into food affordability or improved nutrition. The report argues that investment in infrastructure and market efficiency is essential to making healthy diets more accessible.

Despite recent progress, FAO warned that the global outlook remains fragile. The report projects that around 520 million people could still face hunger by 2030, indicating that the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). Qu cautioned that the forecast may underestimate future risks because it does not fully account for the potential impact of a strong El Niño event, conflicts, economic shocks, and declining development and humanitarian financing.

The FAO Director-General called on governments and development partners to protect recent gains by keeping food, energy, and agricultural input markets open, avoiding export restrictions, expanding social protection programmes for vulnerable households, and ensuring that farmers have timely access to fertilisers, improved seeds, irrigation water, and credit. He stressed that long-term investments in irrigation, storage facilities, cold chains, transport infrastructure, early-warning systems, and climate resilience would reduce the cost of nutritious foods, strengthen food system resilience, and improve access to healthy diets.

“In a world of ongoing and overlapping shocks, progress cannot be taken for granted,” Qu said. “It must be protected, accelerated and extended to everyone, everywhere.”

For NaijaAgroNet, the central message from SOFI 2026 is that Africa has begun to reverse its hunger trend, but sustained agricultural investment, stronger food markets, and greater support for smallholder farmers will determine whether that progress translates into lasting food security across the continent, particularly in countries such as Nigeria where agriculture remains central to economic growth and rural livelihoods.