SOFI 2026 (Social Issues)
SOFI 2026 (Social Issues)
Why In News:
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI 2026) report was recently released on 21 July 2026 by five UN agencies.
It found that Africa has, for the first time, become the continent with the largest number of people facing hunger, even though the global proportion of hungry people has declined for a third consecutive year.
Source: The Hindu, Page 16, 22 July 2026, 'Africa surpasses Asia with highest population facing hunger, says UN'
Key Findings of SOFI 2026
Global trend: About 7.8% of the world's population faced hunger in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6 percent in 2022, translating to roughly 645 million people, still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Africa overtakes Asia: Africa recorded about 309 million hungry people (20 percent of its population) in 2025, compared with 292 million in Asia (6 percent of its population), making Africa home to the largest absolute number of hungry people for the first time.
Affordability gap: About two-thirds of Africans (66.6 percent) cannot afford a healthy diet, more than double the level in Asia, and this share has been rising in Africa even as it falls in other regions.
Outlook to 2030: The report projects that 510 to 520 million people could still face chronic hunger by 2030, with close to 60 percent of them in Africa, driven by conflict, climate shocks, and shrinking humanitarian assistance.
Drivers of the Divergence
Conflict: Wars in Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahel, and the Horn of Africa have displaced millions and devastated agricultural production, worsening food insecurity.
Climate shocks: Prolonged droughts, floods, and unpredictable rainfall have repeatedly damaged food production across several African countries.
Bright spots: Countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Senegal, and Zambia have shown improvement through stronger social protection programmes and targeted nutrition interventions.
Key Facts for Prelims
Publishing agencies: SOFI is jointly published by the FAO, IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), WFP (World Food Programme), WHO, and UNICEF.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was established on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Canada, in the aftermath of World War II to address global food shortages and famine.
It is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and has a membership of 195 entities, including 194 countries and the European Union.
The core mission of the FAO is to achieve food security for all, ensuring that every individual has consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
SDG linkage: The report tracks progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), which the world remains off track to achieve by 2030.
Related index: SOFI is distinct from the Global Hunger Index (GHI), which is prepared separately by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe and ranks individual countries.
India's context: FAO noted that India continues to put in significant effort toward reducing undernourishment, underlining the continuing relevance of schemes like PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.