State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (SOFI 2020) Report | Confidant Classes for Career Consultancy and Coaching Classes

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is the most authoritative global study tracking progress towards ending hunger and malnutrition. It is produced jointly by the , Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

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World food and nutrition security report estimates that nearly 690 million people worldwide were malnourished (or hungry) in 2019, 10 million more than in 2018.
The number of people suffering from malnutrition in India has decreased by 60 million in more than a decade. According to a UN report, there were fewer stunted children but more obese adults in the country.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report released on Monday estimates that nearly 690 million people worldwide are malnourished (or hungry) in 2019, 10 million more than in 2018.
The report, Considered the most authoritative study in the world to track progress towards ending hunger and malnutrition; it said that the number of undernourished people in India had increased from 249.4 million in 2004-06 to 189.2 million in 2017-19.
As a percentage, the prevalence of undernourishment in the total population of India decreased from 21.7% in 2004-06 to 14% in 2017-19, the two subregions showing reductions in malnutrition, East and South Asia, are dominated by the two largest economies on the continent; China and India.
Despite very different conditions, stories and rates of progress, the reduction in hunger in the two countries is due to long-term economic growth, reduced inequality and better access to basic goods and services, did he declare.
The report is jointly prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Program United Nations Food (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
In addition, the Report said that the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 in India has decreased from 47.8% in 2012 to 34.7% in 2019 or from 62 million in 2012 to 40.3 million in 2019.
The report says more Indian adults became obese between 2012-16, the number of obese adults (over 18) increased from 25.2 million in 2012 to 34.3 million in 2016, from 3.1% to 3.9%.
The number of women of reproductive age (15-49) with anemia decreased from 165.6 million in 2012 to 175.6 million in 2016.
The number of babies 0-5 months with exclusive breastfeeding decreased from 11.2 million in 2012 to 13.9 million in 2019.
The hungry are more numerous in Asia, but are growing faster in Africa. Globally, the report predicts that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause chronic hunger for more than 130 million people by the end of 2020.
In terms of malnourished people percentage, Africa is the most affected region, and more, with the 19.1% of its population.
According to current trends, in 2030, Africa will host more than half of the chronically hungry people in the world.
COVID-19 intensifies the vulnerabilities and inadequacies of the world’s food systems, understood as all activities and processes that affect the production, distribution and consumption of food.
Although it is too early to assess the full impact of the blockades and other containment measures, the report estimates that at least 83 million more people, and possibly up to 132 million, could go hungry in 2020 because of the economic crisis.
The recession caused by COVID-19, adding that the downside has further cast doubt on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Two, which aims to achieve zero hunger.
The latest estimates indicate that the three billion or more staggering people cannot afford healthy food.
In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, this is the case for 57% of the population, although no region, including North America and Europe, is saved.
In 2019, 191 million children under the age of five were stunted or wasted, too short or too thin. In addition, 38 million children under the age of five were overweight. Meanwhile, in adults, obesity has become a full-fledged global pandemic.
The study calls on governments to integrate nutrition into their approaches to agriculture; strive to reduce the factors that increase the costs of producing, storing, transporting, distributing and marketing food, including by reducing inefficiencies and food waste and waste.
It also urges them to help small local producers to grow and sell more nutritious food and to guarantee their access to markets; prioritize child nutrition as a cat most in need; encourage behavior change through education and communication; and integrate nutrition into national social protection systems and research strategies
The report noted that generally, cash transfer programmes are considered an appropriate instrument to increase dietary diversity in well-connected urban or rural contexts, while in-kind transfers are more appropriate for remote areas, where access to markets is severely limited.
In India, for instance, the country’s Targeted Public Distribution System represents the largest social protection programme in the world, reaching 800 million people with subsidised cereals that can be purchased from more than 500,000 fair price shops across the country.
In India, rural business hubs have facilitated linking smallholder farmers to rapidly growing urban markets. Apart from procuring food products from the farmers, these hubs provide services such as farm inputs and equipment, as well as access to credit.
Having food processing, packaging and cooling facilities at the same location allows consumers to benefit from economies of agglomeration and, on the whole, reduce transaction costs throughout the food supply chain. This model in India has given rise to rural supermarkets that provide cheaper staple food, it added.