Foreword
Africa is facing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. Millions are expected to be at risk of worsening hunger in the near future due to the rippling effects of the war in Ukraine, which are compounding the devastating impacts that conflicts, climate variability and extremes, economic slowdowns and downturns, and the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic are having on the most vulnerable. In this context, social and gender inequalities are also on the rise, with women and girls being among the most affected by these shocks.
Despite efforts made in several countries, the African continent is not on track to meet the food security and nutrition targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger for 2030, and certainly the Malabo targets of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2025. The most recent estimates show that nearly 282 million people in Africa (about 20 percent of the population) were undernourished in 2022, an increase of 57 million people since the COVID-19 pandemic began. About 868 million people were moderately or severely food-insecure and more than one-third of them – 342 million people – were severely food-insecure.
Progress towards achieving the global nutrition targets by 2030 remains slow. In addition to hunger, millions of Africans suffer from widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Overweight and obesity are already significant public health concerns in many countries. Moreover, estimates show that in 2021 the majority of Africa’s population – about 78 percent – were unable to afford a healthy diet, compared with 42 percent at the global level. The average cost of a healthy diet has been increasing over time, and was at 3.57 PPP dollars per person per day in 2021 on the continent, which is much higher than the extreme poverty threshold of USD 2.15 per person per day. This means that not only the poor but also a large proportion of people defined as non-poor cannot afford a healthy diet.
The present edition of the report presents the latest analysis of the prevalence and trends in undernourishment, food insecurity and malnutrition. In addition, it includes, for the first time, estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet, which are useful indicators of people’s economic access to nutritious foods and healthy diets.
The deterioration of the food security situation and the lack of progress towards the WHO global nutrition targets make it imperative for countries to step up their efforts if they are to achieve a world without hunger and malnutrition by 2030. The call for greater action remains true in view of projected lower rates of, high general and food price inflation, and rising borrowing costs on domestic and international markets since 2022.
We hope the findings will trigger the momentum for agrifood systems transformation along with other systems such as education, health and energy, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, and to ensure that no one is left behind.
Abebe Haile-Gabriel
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Hanan Morsy
Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko
Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment
African Union Commission
Stanlake Samkange
Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships
World Food Programme