In 2020 more than two billion people woke up each morning unsure if they would have enough to eat that day. They were facing food insecurity.
Food insecurity is when a person cannot guarantee a steady, daily supply of safe and nutritious food to live an active and healthy life. That means they are going to bed hungry every single day.
A lack of a disposable income is often a major – if not the major – cause of food insecurity. Whatever the causes, poverty always exacerbates food insecurity. And even though the world produces enough food to feed the entire population, four out of ten people across the globe can’t afford a healthy diet.
It’s not about quantity – there’s plenty to go round. It’s about access. Having ‘access’ to enough food means food being available, it means having money to buy that food and it means being able to get to the food supply safely – be that in a market or on your own land.
Conflict and violence can stop people getting to food supplies while climate change and natural disasters can reduce the food supply. Reducing the supply means prices go up. When you have little money, this becomes a big problem.
There are many reasons why some countries experience food insecurity more than others. Poverty is a major factor. Without work, people will very likely face poverty and struggle to afford food. In the next 10 years, almost 600 million people will be looking for jobs, mostly in the world’s poorest countries.