What are the challenges and how can we achieve global food security?

Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have already taken a considerable toll on global food systems – and the ability of the world to feed its 7.9 billion people.

Ending hunger is the second of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals to achieve by 2030.

In the 2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report – a collaboration between five UN agencies – the authors recognize that achieving this goal has become more challenging.

Between 720 million and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, around one in 10, according to UN estimates – and roughly 70 million to 161 million more people faced hunger in 2020 than in 2019.