THERE ARE FOUR OBESE PEOPLE AGAINST ONE HUNGRY PERSON...

Going back to being a global example in the fight against hunger...

Latin America and the Caribbean was the world’s first region to commit to eradicating hunger before 2025, in a commitment ratified by all countries in the Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative (IALCSH).

"In the first 15 years of the century, Latin America and the Caribbean halved hunger, a tremendous achievement that the entire region can feel proud of," said FAO’s Assistant Deputy Director General and Regional Representative to Latin America and the Caribbean, Julio Berdegué.

"In the last six or seven years we have lost momentum and since 2010-201 we have not moved forward. We need to lift an average of 3.5 million people out of hunger each year if we want to reach Zero Hunger by 2030," he warned.

Berdegué noted with concern the stagnation in the fight against hunger and stressed that efforts should be redoubled in the territories where "the hard core of the problem persists."

The FAO Assistant Director-General also highlighted the importance of renewing political will and returning to the agreements that allowed the development of solid institutional frameworks and governance systems such as the Parliamentary Fronts against Hunger.

Berdegué noted the approval of the Food and Nutrition Security Strategy of the CELAC, the region’s many Food and Nutrition Security National Councils, the impetus given to cash transfer programs, and the support to family farming and school feeding programmes.

FAO’s Assistant Director-General also stressed that hunger can no longer be the only concern: since 2003 the number of obese people in the region has surpassed the number of hungry people.

"Today, for every hungry person there are almost 4 obese people," said Berdegué, noting that the increase is largely due to the increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats.

Source: FAO