The Importance of Food and Nutrition Security
Each day, almost one billion people around the world do not have enough to eat, most of whom live in rural areas, and two billion people suffer from malnutrition. Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to global health, killing more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. And malnutrition—particularly in the first 1000 days from a mother’s pregnancy until her child’s second birthday—can permanently impair physical and cognitive development, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and hunger.
By 2050, the global population will grow to 9.6 billion, with most growth in the poorest countries. This growth in population will require 60% more agricultural production, along with just and sustainable ways of ensuring that everyone has enough nutritious food to eat. Feeding and nourishing the hungry and malnourished of today, as well as the billions of tomorrow, will be one of the defining challenges of the 21st century.