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SOFI 2023 CHIEF ECONOMIST INTERVIEW

Over 122 million more people are facing hunger in the world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated weather shocks and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, according to a new United Nations report.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report (SOFI) jointly published by five United Nations specialized agencies: FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO reveals that between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, with a mid-range of 735 million. This represents an increase of 122 million people compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 will not be reached, the report warns.

Duration 4m53s

Edit Version Clean

Video Type Video News Release (VNR)

Date 07/10/2023 12:31 PM

File size 646.55 MB

Unique ID UF2SN7

All editorial uses permitted

Production details and shotlist

UNFAO Source FAO Video

Shotlist STORY: FAO / SOFI 2023 CHIEF ECONOMIST INTERVIEW

TRT: 4’:53’’

SOURCE: FAO

RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY / RECENT

SHOTLIST

OCTOBER 2017, NAKURU, KENYA

1. Wide shot, Nakuru Central Market

19 JANUARY 2021, KAMPONG CHHNANG PROVINCE, CAMBODIA

2. Med shot, Mother and her two daughters walking

MARCH 2020, IMATACA FOREST RESERVE, VENEZUELA

3. Close up, Kariña indigenous woman walking

JULY 2017, BẾN TRE PROVINCE, VIET NAM

4. Med shot, Street vendor walking in a street

17 JANUARY 2022, BELETWEYNE, SOMALIA

5. Close up, woman face

FILE – ROME, ITALY

6. Zoom in, FAO logo

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "A key finding is that the global hunger, measured with the prevalence of undernourishment, what we call PoU, remained relatively unchanged from 2021 to 2022, but is still far above pre-COVID-19-pandemic levels, affecting around 9.2 percent of the world population in 2022 compared with 7.9 percent in 2019. This means that 122 million more people faced hunger in 2022 than in 2019, before the pandemic. It is projected that almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030."

AUGUST 2021, YEMEN

8. Wide shot, Pastoralists with sheep

NOVEMBER 2016, PORT SALUT, HAITI

9. Tracking shot, Homes in the village

15 JULY 2022, DOLOW, SOMALIA

10. Wide shot, displaced women and children sitting on the ground

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Hunger has stalled and even declined in some countries in Asia and Latin America in 2022. These are good news. And these seem to have benefited relatively more from the economic rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not observed for Western Asia, the Caribbean and all subregions of Africa. Those are bad news. Just as global economic conditions appeared to be more favourable for 2022 and the prospects of the reduction in hunger and food insecurity towards pre-pandemic levels seemed possible, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine sent another shock through the global economy, exacerbating the prices of food."

8 OCTOBER 2020, NJORO, KENYA

12. Wide shot, Town market

13. Med shot, Vendor counter

26-29 APRIL 2022, PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN PROVINCE, THAILAND

14. Close up, Vendor counter in a fish market

16 JUNE 2018, CHIQUIMULA MUNICIPALITY, GUATEMALA

15. Wide shot, Man buying vegetables at farmers’ market

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Prices have been affected and this has affected the hunger numbers. As noted, global food commodity prices were rising steadily before the war, but the war exacerbated the situation, creating a new surge in food prices.

MARCH 2020, IBB GOVERNORATE, YEMEN

17. Wide shot, costumer in a fruit and vegetable shop

2014, COOK ISLAND

18. Close up, Price tag in a fruit and vegetable shop

NOVEMBER 2016, GUESSABO, COTE D’IVOIRE

19. Close up, Customer buying salted fish in a local market

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Given the resulting rising food import costs because of the increasing prices, countries that are highly dependent on food imports have been particularly affected. Increases in food prices and general inflation have also affected the poorest segments of the population who spend a larger share of their income on food."

OCTOBER 2018, SANTIAGO DE CHILE, CHILE

21. Wide shot, City view

20 OCTOBER 2017, DHAKA, BANGLADESH

22. Wide shot, Busy street traffic

2014, COOK ISLAND

23. Med shot, Overweight person entering a fast food

24. Close up, Overweight person walking in a street

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "The challenges include a greater availability of cheaper, convenience, pre-prepared and fast foods, often energy dense and high in fats, sugars and/or salt that can contribute to malnutrition; insufficient availability of vegetables and fruits to meet the daily requirements of healthy diets for everyone."

16 JUNE 2018, CHIQUIMULA MUNICIPALITY, GUATEMALA

26. Wide shot, Woman pouring potatoes on a vendor counter

26-29 APRIL 2022, PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN PROVINCE, THAILAND

27. Med shot, Woman working in a fish market

4 OCTOBER 2021, BOBO FORRO, SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE

28. Med shot, Woman selling salted fish in a local market

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Urbanization also presents opportunities as it is the result in longer, more formal and complex food value chains that expand income-generating activities in off-farm employment, especially for women and youth, and increase the variety of nutritious foods. Moreover, farmers often gain better access to agricultural inputs and services as urban areas grow closer to rural areas."

13 JANUARY 2021 NEBAJ, QUICHÉ, GUATEMALA

30. Med shot, FAO pickup track arriving

AUGUST 2021, YEMEN

31. Med shot, FAO staff talking with pastoralists in a sheep vaccination spot

APRIL 2020, ALEPPO GOVERNORATE, SYRIA

32. Close up, FAO expert following the installation of low tunnels as part of an FAO project helping farmers produce amid COVID-19 pandemic

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

33. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "First, we need to integrate humanitarian, development and peacebuilding policies where there is conflict. Here peacebuilding efforts must be linked to livelihood support, nutrition-sensitive social protection, and programmes for the development of resilient and efficient production and supply chains. Community-based approaches should be a key aspect of post-conflict policies."

AUGUST 2020, AL-ODAIN, IBB GOVERNORATE, YEMEN

34. Tilt down, a woman and her children eating

15 JULY 2022, DOLOW, SOMALIA

35. Close up, displaced child drinking

30 JUNE 2023, ROME, ITALY

36. SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Second, we need to cope with the risks of climate change. We need to scale up climate resilience across the agrifood systems, by reducing climate-related risks and adapting to climate change, relying on climate risk monitoring and early warning systems, and improving access and management of natural productive assets.”

17 JANUARY 2022, BELETWEYNE, SOMALIA

37. Close up, A ladle spinning in a pot

11 JUNE 2018, TEJUTLA MUNICIPALITY, SAN MARCOS DEPARTMENT, GUATEMALA

38. Wide shot, Volunteers serving food and drinks to students during school meal

8 OCTOBER 2020, NJORO, KENYA

39. Med shot, Child drinking milk

20 JANUARY 2021, KAMPONG CHHNANG PROVINCE, CAMBODIA

40. Med shot, Fishermen family eating

Script Over 122 million more people are facing hunger in the world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated weather shocks and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, according to a new United Nations report.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report (SOFI) jointly published by five United Nations specialized agencies: FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO reveals that between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, with a mid-range of 735 million. This represents an increase of 122 million people compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 will not be reached, the report warns.

Maximo Torero, FAO’s Chief Economist explained the global hunger remained relatively unchanged from 2021 to 2022 but this is still far above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "A key finding is that the global hunger, measured with the prevalence of undernourishment, what we call PoU, remained relatively unchanged from 2021 to 2022, but is still far above pre-COVID-19-pandemic levels, affecting around 9.2 percent of the world population in 2022 compared with 7.9 percent in 2019. This means that 122 million more people faced hunger in 2022 than in 2019, before the pandemic. It is projected that almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030."

The report also warns that while global hunger numbers have stalled between 2021 and 2022, there are many places in the world facing deepening food crises. Progress in hunger reduction was observed in Asia and Latin America, but hunger was still on the rise in Western Asia, the Caribbean and throughout all subregions of Africa in 2022. Africa remains the worst-affected region with one in five people facing hunger on the continent, more than twice the global average.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Hunger has stalled and even declined in some countries in Asia and Latin America in 2022. These are good news. And these seem to have benefited relatively more from the economic rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not observed for Western Asia, the Caribbean and all subregions of Africa. Those are bad news. Just as global economic conditions appeared to be more favourable for 2022 and the prospects of the reduction in hunger and food insecurity towards pre-pandemic levels seemed possible, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine sent another shock through the global economy, exacerbating the prices of food."

Rise of food prices, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, is one of the major causes of hunger around the world, explains the FAO Chief Economist.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Prices have been affected and this has affected the hunger numbers. As noted, global food commodity prices were rising steadily before the war, but the war exacerbated the situation, creating a new surge in food prices.

Inflation has mainly affected import dependent countries and the most vulnerable populations with less spending power, adds Torero.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Given the resulting rising food import costs because of the increasing prices, countries that are highly dependent on food imports have been particularly affected. Increases in food prices and general inflation have also affected the poorest segments of the population who spend a larger share of their income on food."

The report also looks at increased urbanization as a ‘megatrend’ affecting how and what people eat.

With almost seven in ten people projected to live in cities by 2050, governments and others working to tackle hunger must seek to understand these changes and account for them in their policymaking.

In particular, the simpler dichotomy between the rural and urban systems is replaced by a richer continuum. These changes, explains Torero, present challenges to ensure everyone has access to affordable and healthy diets.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "The challenges include a greater availability of cheaper, convenience, pre-prepared and fast foods, often energy dense and high in fats, sugars and/or salt that can contribute to malnutrition; insufficient availability of vegetables and fruits to meet the daily requirements of healthy diets for everyone."

The expansion of urban areas may also provide new opportunities, notes Torero.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Urbanization also presents opportunities as it is the result in longer, more formal and complex food value chains that expand income-generating activities in off-farm employment, especially for women and youth, and increase the variety of nutritious foods. Moreover, farmers often gain better access to agricultural inputs and services as urban areas grow closer to rural areas."

The SOFI report identifies a series of policy interventions, actions and investments to effectively promote food security and nutrition and make agrifood systems more resilient to hunger drivers such as conflict, climate change and economic slowdowns and downturns.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "First, we need to integrate humanitarian, development and peacebuilding policies where there is conflict. Here peacebuilding efforts must be linked to livelihood support, nutrition-sensitive social protection, and programmes for the development of resilient and efficient production and supply chains. Community-based approaches should be a key aspect of post-conflict policies."

To cope with climate change, a scale up of climate resilience interventions is needed to reduce risks and adapt to extreme weather events, explains the FAO Chief Economist.

SOUNDBITE (English) Maximo Torero, Chief Economist, FAO: "Second, we need to cope with the risks of climate change. We need to scale up climate resilience across the agrifood systems, by reducing climate-related risks and adapting to climate change, relying on climate risk monitoring and early warning systems, and improving access and management of natural productive assets.”

It’s crucial to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable to economic adversity, which requires strengthening agrifood productivity and market linkages along food supply chains, curbing rises in food prices and excessive price volatility, boosting job creation, and expanding social protection schemes, adds Torero.

ENDS

Link to press release: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/122-million-more-people-pushed-into-hunger-since-2019-due-to-multiple-crises--reveals-un-report/en

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