04 Sep (IPS) – Mario Lubetkin is FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean. The latest publication of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 (SOFI) report, launched last July in the context of the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, provides a detailed overview of progress and setbacks in the fight against hunger.
While some progress has been made at the global level, large inequalities remain: Africa remains the region most affected, but Latin America is showing positive signs of recovery, reflecting the impact of concerted efforts to improve food security.
The road has not been easy. After the COVID-19 pandemic, our region was one of the regions most affected by hunger, with a peak in 2021 of 6.9 percent of the population, while 40.6 percent experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. For several years, we saw the progress made in the early 2000s rapidly reverse.
However, over the past two years, there has been a decline in hunger levels, with a percentage of 6.2% of the population, which represents a decline of 4.3 million people. This decline is mainly caused by South America.
Investments in social protection programmes in several countries in the region have been instrumental in driving this recovery. Social systems have enabled rapid response and more effective allocation of available financial resources to the most vulnerable populations.
Despite the region’s progress, the subregions of the Caribbean and Central America continue to face challenges related to rising hunger. We cannot afford to go backwards. It is essential that we deepen our analysis of the visions and strategies that have shown positive results to continue on this path.
Six months after the FAO regional conference in Georgetown, Guyana, we aim to provide concrete answers to the priorities countries have set to transform their agri-food systems and achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and better lives.
At FAO, we have initiated a high-level reflection process with governments to share experiences on government policies aimed at ensuring food and nutrition security.
Like the rest of the world, our region must be prepared for increasing risks such as climate change, conflicts, economic crises and other challenges.
Latin America and the Caribbean have shown that, with the right policywe can move forward and provide concrete and sustainable answers. Only with a firm commitment can we end hunger and malnutrition, leaving no one behind.
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service