Africa surpasses Asia with highest population facing hunger: UN
The UN's annual report on food security and nutrition found that there has been gradual improvement towards reducing hunger overall in recent years, but that progress has been uneven
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Context
A recent UN report by the reveals that Africa has surpassed Asia as the continent with the highest number of people facing hunger. The report indicates a shift in the global 'centre of gravity of hunger,' with 309 million Africans (20% of the population) affected, compared to 292 million in Asia (6%). This trend highlights the compounding impacts of climate change, regional conflicts, and the high cost of healthy diets on food security in Africa.
UPSC Perspectives
Social
The report underscores a critical shift in global food security (access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life), highlighting a persistent structural crisis in Africa. While the overall global proportion of people facing hunger has slightly decreased, the absolute number remains high at 645 million, indicating that progress is uneven and vulnerable to shocks. A significant metric highlighted is affordability of a healthy diet; two-thirds of Africans cannot afford it, compared to a much lower percentage in Asia. This points to a deeper issue beyond mere calorie availability, emphasizing nutritional security and the quality of diets. The recommendation to prioritize the transformation of the animal source food sector suggests a need for targeted interventions in agricultural policy to make protein-rich foods more accessible. For UPSC, this connects to the broader themes of poverty, malnutrition, and the effectiveness of welfare interventions, relevant for GS Paper 2 (Social Justice).
Economic
The economic dimensions of this crisis are deeply intertwined with structural vulnerabilities. The high cost of healthy diets in Africa reflects inefficiencies in the agrifood systems and challenges in supply chains, production costs, and market access. The report notes that rising energy and fertilizer costs, though currently limited, remain a latent threat, highlighting the continent's exposure to global commodity market fluctuations. The concept of affordability is central here; it's not just about production but also purchasing power and income inequality. The transition from hunger being predominantly an Asian problem to an African one suggests that economic growth and poverty alleviation strategies (like those employed by China and India) have been less effective or harder to implement in the African context. In GS Paper 3, this relates to issues of agricultural pricing, food processing, and the economic impact of global shocks on developing economies.
Geographical
The geographical shift in hunger's 'centre of gravity' is significant, driven largely by environmental and geopolitical factors. Africa's vulnerability to climate-related shocks (such as droughts and floods) severely impacts agricultural productivity, exacerbating food insecurity. Furthermore, the report explicitly links hunger to regional conflicts (e.g., in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo), which displace populations, disrupt farming, and destroy livelihoods. This illustrates the complex interplay between climate change, conflict, and food security, often termed a 'threat multiplier.' The situation in Africa contrasts with Asia, where countries like India and China have implemented large-scale interventions and benefited from different climatic and geopolitical realities. For UPSC, understanding how physical geography (climate impacts) and human geography (conflict and displacement) interact to create crises is crucial for GS Paper 1 and GS Paper 3.