At a time when our planet is going through a series of crises – climatic, geopolitical, economic – the global food crisis is emerging as a major challenge. It is no longer simply a question of hunger. It also encompasses profound inequalities in access to healthy food, massive wastage of resources and the ecological limits of our agricultural model.
Faced with this situation, understanding the scale and complexity of the problem is essential if we are to take action. Here are six key figures to help you assess the causes, impacts and levers for transformation.
783 million people suffer from hunger worldwide
This alarming figure reminds us that hunger is far from over. Nearly 800 million people still live in chronic food insecurity. There are many reasons for this: armed conflict, recurrent drought, economic shocks, and unequal access to productive resources such as land, water and seeds.
In contrast to a fatalistic vision, hunger must be seen as a preventable phenomenon. Understanding food systems, local vulnerabilities and global interdependencies is the key to devising structural, sustainable solutions tailored to specific regions.
Source: FAO, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2023
1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year
Every year, a third of the food produced in the world is lost or thrown away. This massive waste occurs at every stage of the food chain: storage, transport, processing, distribution and consumption.
It mobilizes land, water, energy… for nothing.
Beyond individual responsibility, it’s the overall organization of food supply chains that needs to be examined. Rethinking logistics, developing more frugal consumption patterns, reusing unsold produce or agricultural by-products: there are many ways to build a more efficient food system that respects resources.
Source: FAO, Food Loss and Waste Database, 2021
80% of farmland is devoted to livestock farming
Livestock farming, particularly intensive livestock farming, takes up most of the world’s agricultural land. This applies not only to pastureland, but above all to the crops grown to feed the animals.
This model has made it possible to increase meat production. But it is now taking its toll on the environment. With its greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and massive use of resources, it is reaching its limits.
Diversifying diets, promoting more sustainable livestock farming practices, improving the link between livestock farming and plant-based agriculture: these are just some of the challenges we face in reducing the footprint of our food choices.
Source: FAO, Livestock’s Long Shadow, 2006 / Our World in Data, 2023
3.1 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet
The food crisis is not just about quantity, but also about quality. More than 3 billion people around the world cannot afford – economically or geographically – to eat healthily.
This situation affects both isolated rural areas and deprived urban areas. In the latter, ultra-processed foods often replace fresh produce.
This nutritional imbalance is fuelling silent epidemics of obesity, diabetes and multiple deficiencies. In response, we need to bring production closer to local needs, strengthen short distribution channels, support the diversity of food cultures and make healthy products accessible to all.
Source: FAO, IFAD, WHO, WFP and UNICEF, SOFI Report, 2023
A healthy diet could prevent 11 million deaths every year
The consequences of a poor diet go far beyond the nutritional sphere. They constitute a real public health issue. A healthy, sustainable diet could prevent up to 11 million premature deaths a year worldwide.
Promoting quality food also means easing the burden on healthcare systems, improving productivity and strengthening people’s resilience in the face of crises.
Source: The Lancet, Global Syndemic of Obesity, Undernutrition, and Climate Change, 2019
Less than 1% of global public funding goes to research on sustainable food systems
Despite the scale of the challenges, research into the sustainable transformation of our food systems remains underfunded. It receives just 0.8% of the world’s food-related public funding.
Yet without scientific innovation, no transition will be possible.
In Montpellier, multi-disciplinary teams – united around the One Science Foundation – work every day to better understand the interactions between agriculture, the environment, nutrition and society. Cross-fertilizing knowledge, strengthening the dialogue between science and public decision-making, making the most of local knowledge: these are the levers we need to build coherent, resilient food policies.
Because feeding the world can no longer be done at the expense of the planet.
Source: Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Systemic Investment Gaps in Food Systems Transformation, 2021