Rome: Today, around 8.2 percent of people face chronic undernourishment, a significant improvement from 1946 when roughly two-thirds of the global population lived in areas with inadequate food supply. This statistic, revealed by the first World Food Survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its early days, highlights the progress made in global food security. Despite a population more than three times as large in 2025, the world produces more than enough calories to feed everyone.
According to Lao News Agency, the FAO and its member countries have achieved remarkable milestones, including eliminating the rinderpest virus, establishing the Codex Alimentarius food safety standards, and nearly tripling global rice yields since the late 1940s. The organization has also played a pivotal role in negotiating international treaties on fisheries practices and genetic resources, setting up early-warning monitoring schemes to mitigate the risk of pests and diseases, and supporting trade through the Agricultural Market Information System.
In response to desert locust outbreaks starting in 2019, $231 million was mobilized to avert a crisis, saving $1.77 billion in losses and securing food for over 40 million people across 10 countries. Such achievements underscore the critical importance of member nations’ steadfast support and collaboration in the fight against hunger.
Sustaining this spirit of cooperation is more urgent than ever, given the interconnectedness of the global agrifood system. Currently, more than a fifth of all calories cross international borders before consumption. Threats such as climate shocks, pests, diseases, economic downturns, and conflicts can undermine progress against hunger and malnutrition. Challenges like bird flu, Fall armyworm, and locust infestations highlight the need for a united front to combat transboundary threats.
Ensuring resilience for the more than one billion people working in agrifood systems is vital. Technologies, financial mechanisms, enabling policies, and know-how exist to achieve the goal of ending hunger swiftly. Access to markets is crucial in mitigating inequalities and ensuring food reaches those in need. Market participation involves access to drought-resistant seeds, sustainable fishery and forestry norms, digital technologies, and early-warning systems.
The FAO’s framework to scale up efforts includes initiatives like the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, One Country One Priority Product initiative, South-South and Triangular Cooperation programme, and the Digital Villages initiative. These programs promote investment, partnerships, and digital access to enhance sustainable agrifood systems and rural prosperity.
The FAO channels its vision of the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and Better Life for all. These goals aim to ensure no one is left behind. With shared purpose and continued collaboration, the FAO emphasizes the importance of moving forward to finish the job of ending hunger and securing a food-secure future for all.