Global Hunger Falls for Second Year, But Africa Moves in the Wrong Direction

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

The world made modest progress in reducing hunger in 2024, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report, jointly published by five United Nations agencies, including the FAO, WFP, UNICEF, IFAD, and WHO. Approximately 8.2% of the global population faced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022.

The improvement, while welcome, conceals a stark and troubling divide. Progress has been concentrated in Southern Asia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In contrast, hunger continued to worsen in most subregions of Africa and western Asia. Africa alone accounts for over 307 million undernourished people, more than 20% of the continent's population, and this number is rising. Low-income nations bore the brunt of food price inflation that peaked at 30% in May 2023, squeezing household food budgets to the breaking point.

The SOFI 2025 report highlights a growing double burden of malnutrition worldwide. While adult obesity increased from 12.1% in 2012 to 15.8% in 2022, anaemia among women of reproductive age also worsened, affecting 30.7% of women in 2023. Child wasting remained high at 6.6% in 2024, and although child stunting continued to decline, progress has been slow. Looking ahead, the report estimates that more than 512 million people will still face chronic hunger by 2030, nearly 60% of them in Africa, putting the world off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. UN leaders have therefore called for urgent action, warning that hunger remains widespread even as financial resources to combat it decline.

Implications for Cameroon

Cameroon reflects many of the challenges highlighted in the SOFI 2025 report. While food insecurity remains a major concern in regions affected by conflict, climate shocks, and limited agricultural infrastructure, urban areas are increasingly facing a rise in unhealthy diets driven by the growing availability of processed foods. Rising food prices have further reduced access to nutritious foods for many households, increasing the risk of food insecurity. At the same time, persistent rates of child stunting and anaemia among women and children underscore the need for policies that improve dietary diversity, strengthen social protection programs, and support the production and consumption of nutritious local foods.

The SOFI 2025 report highlights important opportunities for Cameroon to strengthen its food system and improve food security. With abundant agricultural resources, diverse agroecological zones, and a growing farming population, the country has strong potential to increase domestic food production and reduce vulnerability to food crises. Investments in rural infrastructure, irrigation, post-harvest storage, and nutrition-sensitive social protection programs could significantly improve access to affordable, nutritious food. Cameroon can also leverage regional partnerships and agricultural development initiatives to attract funding, technical expertise, and support for sustainable food systems transformation.