Global hunger conundrum: Exploring how location impacts access to nourishment in our world
Food affordability is a pressing issue that significantly contributes to food insecurity across the world. The ability to afford a healthy diet varies greatly among countries, with staggering disparities between continents.
More than 90% of the population in some African countries cannot afford a healthy diet, a stark contrast to around 2% in countries like Germany. Europe and North America also experience moderate to severe food insecurity, affecting 8.4% of their populations [1][2][3].
Worldwide, more than 2.3 billion people experience moderate to severe levels of food insecurity, impacting the quality, quantity, and variety of available food. Women are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, with gender norms and pressures limiting their access to resources [1].
Severe food insecurity can result in entire days without eating for some people. The inability to afford nutritious food is a major driver of food insecurity, with 31.9% of the world's population unable to afford a healthy diet [1].
The Impact of Food Affordability on Food Insecurity
The impact of food affordability on food insecurity varies significantly across countries and regions. Low-income countries suffer the most from rising food prices, with food inflation rates peaking at around 30% in some cases, leading to a significant rise in moderate or severe food insecurity [2].
Africa faces particularly acute affordability challenges, with about two-thirds of the population unable to afford a healthy diet as of 2024. This worsened over recent years due to halted economic growth and sharply rising food prices [3].
In Asia, food affordability has improved recently, with the proportion of people unable to afford a healthy diet decreasing from 35% in 2019 to 28% in 2024. This improvement is largely driven by economic recovery and better affordability in populous countries such as India [3].
Lower-middle-income countries saw mixed trends, with some improvements driven by specific national gains, while upper-middle- and high-income countries generally experienced declines in food unaffordability since 2020 [3].
Factors Exacerbating Food Insecurity
Global shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, extreme weather events, and surging energy prices, have disrupted supply chains and raised agricultural commodity costs worldwide. These effects were magnified in vulnerable countries with weak food systems and limited fiscal resources to buffer price shocks [1][2].
Solutions for Improving Food Affordability
Investing in rural economies, climate-resilient agriculture, infrastructure, and social protection can help stabilize food prices and improve affordability, particularly in poorer regions where smallholder farmers and rural enterprises are crucial for economic diversification and access to nutritious foods [1].
In summary, food affordability drives food insecurity primarily by limiting access to food for vulnerable populations during periods of inflation or economic stress. The greatest burden is in low-income countries and sub-Saharan Africa, while some middle- and high-income regions have seen improvements due to economic recovery and better social safety nets [1][2][3].
- Africa, with about two-thirds of its population, struggles to afford a healthy diet, especially in the year 2024 [3].
- In contrast, less than 2% of the population in countries like Germany cannot afford a healthy diet [1].
- Europe and North America, though experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity, have higher affordability compared to Africa [1].
- Asia, despite some improvements, remains a continent where roughly one-quarter of the population cannot afford a healthy diet [3].
- The affordability of food is directly linked to the quality, quantity, and variety of food available for consumption, making it a critical aspect of health-and-wellness, nutrition, and women's health [1].
- Recent global shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have worsened food insecurity in vulnerable countries, including those in Africa and Asia, by disrupting supply chains and raising agricultural commodity costs [1][2].
