WORRYING SITUATION

United Nations Report: 7 million people no longer face hunger in Brazil

The fall of 33% was recorded between 2021 and 2023; severe food insecurity still affects 14 million Brazilians

Translated by: Ana Paula Rocha

Brasil de Fato | São Paulo |
Acampamento na rua com placa que diz 'Ajuda, fome'
Despite the fall, severe food insecurity still afflicts 14 million people in Brazil, according to the UN - José Cruz/Agência Brasil

The United Nations Report on the State of Food Insecurity and Nutrition in the World (Sofi 2024), released on Wednesday (24), points out that severe food insecurity fell by 33% in Brazil between 2021 and 2023. The concept refers to people who do not have access to food and spend at least one full day without eating.

Compared to the previous edition of the report, the number went from 21 million (9.9%) in the 2020-2022 period to 14 million (6.6%). In other words, 7 million people no longer face hunger in the country.

Another indicator that showed a significant reduction was moderate food insecurity, that is, when people face uncertainty about their ability to obtain food and are forced to reduce the quality and/or quantity of food due to a lack of money or other resources.

In the last three years, 70 million Brazilians were affected by this condition. The current report shows a drop of 44%, which, in absolute numbers, represents 39 million people.

Global data

According to the United Nations, around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023. This figure is equivalent to one out of 11 people in the world. The data shows that the situation is most alarming on the African continent, where one out of five people face food insecurity.

The report launched on Wednesday warns that the world is failing to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 2 – Zero Hunger – by 2030, with setbacks going back 15 years, such as malnutrition levels, which are comparable to those of 2008-2009.

Edited by: Geisa Marques