United Nations has predicted that Africa will overtake Asia as the continent with the highest number of people experiencing hunger by 2030. In its annual state of food security and nutrition report, five UN agencies highlighted a “clear trend” of rising undernourishment in Africa. Currently, Africa has the largest proportion of people lacking nutritious food (20.4%), but Asia still has more than half of the world’s hungry population. In 2023, 384.5 million people in Asia faced hunger, compared to 298.4 million in Africa.
Alarm Over Future Trends
Alvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad), described the situation as “alarming” and warned that it would worsen unless action is taken. He projected that due to population growth and current dynamics, the problem will be harder to solve, with more people in Africa suffering from chronic hunger in a decade. Lario noted that Asia has focused more on local production, crop diversification, fertilizer use, and public investment than Africa.
Challenges for African Farmers
The report estimated that almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, with 53% living in Africa, marking a concerning stagnation in progress. Elizabeth Nsimalda, president of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), which represents 25 million food producers, emphasized that the battle against hunger is being lost, especially in rural communities where many food producers are unable to feed themselves and their families. With 33 million smallholder farms in Africa providing up to 70% of the continent’s food supply, the climate crisis and conflicts are major drivers of food insecurity.
Diana Onyango, head of Farm Africa’s technical team, highlighted the severe impact of climate change on farmers and food security, particularly in East Africa, which has experienced extensive drought since 2020. Farmers lack the information and knowledge needed to diversify and adapt to climate change. Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, stressed the need for climate-resilient food systems and social protection to address hunger.
The report was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization, Ifad, Unicef, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization.