Malnutrition: the goal of "Zero Hunger" by 2030?
Faced with the increasing number of undernourished people, the United Nations' goal of eliminating world hunger seems totally compromised.
By 2030, the organization has set itself the goal of ending malnutrition. To achieve this, the ambition is to provide year-round access to healthy, nutritious, and sufficient .
What is malnutrition?
Malnutrition primarily involves two types of poor diet:
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- Insufficient food consumption (Hunger, undernourishment, food insecurity)
- Excessive food consumption (overeating, overweight, obesity)
Although this second category is also responsible for many diseases and nearly 2 billion adults are considered overweight, undernutrition has been the subject of more in-depth research and greater interest in recent years.
Excessive consumption is also responsible for many diseases, and there are nearly 2 billion overweight adults. However, in recent years, undernutrition has been the subject of more in-depth research.
According to the latest report, " The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World ," 690 million people suffered from hunger in 2019, 10 million more than in 2018.
The consequences of malnutrition
People suffering from malnutrition face numerous health problems, some of which are particularly serious. Overconsumption can lead to hypertension, high cholesterol, an increased risk of heart attack, and cardiovascular disease. Undernourishment the other hand, results in stunted growth in height and weight, as well as numerous nutritional deficiencies. Each of these factors increases the risk of serious illnesses such as tuberculosis.
- Malnutrition is the cause of nearly half ( 45% ) of deaths among children under 5 years of age (that is, 3.1 million children each year).
- One in four children worldwide suffers from stunted growth. In developing countries, this proportion can reach one in three.
An increase in the number of cases since 2014
At the beginning of the 21st century, a decrease in the number of undernourished people suggested a decline in this scourge. Unfortunately, since 2014, the trend has reversed, with alarming forecasts for the future. The FAO estimates that if these recent predictions are accurate, 840 million people will be affected by hunger by 2030. We are therefore very far from the target set for that year.
Inequality in the face of hunger
Due to the nature of the main causes that lead to food insecurity, developing countries are the most affected.
Africa and Asia are among the countries most affected by this malnutrition problem. Wars, lack of access to water, poverty, and climate change severely undermine food security and development.
Africa is proportionally the continent most affected by this scourge. It affects 19% of its population , and this trend is unfortunately expected to continue until 2030.
Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic is also believed to have contributed to the increase in these inequalities, with an additional 135 million people in a situation of acute food insecurity.
The absurdity of food waste in this context
Today, 3.3 gigatons of edible food are wasted every year. This represents an average waste of 527 kcal per day per person . The entire population of undernourished individuals, some 690 million, requires 1,725 billion kcal daily. Meanwhile, we waste 3,952 billion kcal, more than double that amount!
This report highlights the absurdity of the problem: on the one hand, a portion of the population is still undernourished. On the other hand, food waste remains considerable. For logistical reasons, redirecting this waste to those in need is not an immediate solution. But it shows that solutions do exist. Indeed, some studies claim that we could currently feed more than 10 billion people, while our population is only 7.5 billion.
Overcoming world hunger therefore appears to be more a problem of redistribution and management than of production.
Combating malnutrition involves addressing problems such as conflict, disease, and poverty. It also requires optimal management and equitable distribution of resources. Strengthening local agriculture and minimizing food waste are key measures in this fight.
Sources: FAO, World Health Organization, lafaimexpliquee.org, un.org, Humanium.org, geo.fr
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