Worldwide hunger on the rise

We have now reached a point in global economic development where hunger and malnutrition can no longer be solved by producing more food. Of course, for some regions and countries, an increase in food production is necessary. But if we look at the situation from a distance, the world is producing enough food. The greater problem now is the distribution of food, and the way in which it is produced and processed. These are some of the takehome messages from the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2021, developed by The Economist Intelligence Unit and supported by Corteva Agriscience, which was launched in South Africa recently during an event in Pretoria.

The GFSI has tracked the drivers of food insecurity worldwide for the past decade. This year, it shows that seven years of progress have now been followed by two years of decline. According to the report, this decline has been driven in part by new challenges, such as COVID-19, extreme weather, and pests and diseases.

The GFSI shows that global food security is declining, despite the world’s ability to produce a greater volume of food. The world is experiencing levels of hunger not seen since the period between 2005 and 2007, and if this trend continues, 840 million people, which makes up 9,8% of the global population, will be affected by hunger by 2030.

South Africa has maintained its 2020 score of 57,8 points out of 100; however, the country’s global ranking fell slightly from 69 in 2020 to 70 out of the 113 countries assessed. The country’s performance over the past decade has also declined substantially when compared with the results in 2012, in which South Africa was placed 40th overall with a score of 61,7.

During a panel discussion at the GFSI 2021 launch, one of the issues discussed several times was the need for better financing support for new farmers.

According to Ayanda Kanana, CEO of the Land Bank, and Sinelizwi Fakade, managing director of Rocky Park Farming, improving access to financing for new and small-scale farmers would help improve household food security in South Africa in two ways.

First, resource-poor farmers in South Africa’s rural areas often suffer from food insecurity themselves. Therefore, having better access to financing would support them in growing their businesses, thus increasing their income and their ability to afford enough food for them and their families. In addition, this intervention could help reduce hunger in South Africa by growing rural economies and creating jobs on farms. The second way in which improved financing would help better household food security is by improving access to food, as it would support smallscale farmers in deep rural areas to grow food where it is needed, and so reduce the high transport and distribution costs of providing food for people in these areas.

It is important, from a policy perspective, for government to realise that food insecurity in South Africa is not an agricultural problem, but an economic one.

On a global scale, as the report warns, policymakers need to acknowledge the impact of climate-related factors on food systems and food security, and take immediate action.

Denene Erasmus, Editor