Wasted Dreams: When Hunger Threatens the Future

It’s a tragedy that in a world where millions go to bed hungry each night, an enormous amount of food is wasted every day.

The world is grappling with an unparalleled hunger crisis in magnitude and intensity. The Global Report on Food Crises 2023 reveals a disturbing trend of increasing numbers of individuals suffering from acute food insecurity and in dire need of immediate food and aid. The report suggests that acute hunger is a reality for over 250 million people, with economic upheavals and the conflict in Ukraine exacerbating the situation. 

In 2022, a staggering 258 million people across 58 nations and territories faced severe food insecurity, reaching crisis levels or even worse. This figure marks a substantial rise from the previous year. In 2021, the number of individuals facing such dire circumstances was 193 million, spread across 53 countries and territories.

The recent State of Food Security and Nutrition 2023 report echoes a similar pattern. The report suggests that global hunger affected between 691 and 783 million people in 2022, with a midpoint estimate of around 737 million. This is an increase of 122 million from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s projected that nearly 600 million people will suffer from chronic undernourishment by 2030.

In 2022, about 2.4 billion people, mainly women and rural residents, didn’t have regular access to safe and nutritious food. Child malnutrition was also a major health issue. Around 148.1 million children under five (22.3%) were stunted, 45 million (6.8%) were wasted, and 37 million (5.6%) were overweight. Stunting and wasting were more common in rural areas, while being overweight was slightly more prevalent in urban areas.

While it might be easy to assume that affluent nations like the United States are immune to the hunger crisis, the reality paints a different picture. Over 34 million individuals, including 9 million children, in the United States struggle with food insecurity. 

In 2022, food programs became a lifeline for 49 million people. The pandemic has further exacerbated food insecurity, particularly among families with children and communities of color, who were already disproportionately affected by hunger prior to the pandemic. Food insecurity remains a major concern in every single county across the country.

Simultaneously, the world is facing a global food waste issue that is astonishing in its scale and implications. According to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index report, the world generates 931 million tons of food waste annually, with 8-10% of global carbon emissions associated with uneaten produce.

It’s estimated that about 17% of global food production may end up as waste, with households contributing 61% of this waste, food service 26%, and retail 13%. The amount of food produced but never consumed could feed two billion people. The monetary value of the wasted food is estimated to be around $680 billion.

The global hunger crisis and food waste issue are complex problems, influenced by factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, conflicts, economic downturn, and social disparities. The pandemic disrupted food systems, leading to higher food prices and lower incomes. Climate change has increased extreme weather events, impacting crops and livestock production.

Conflicts have displaced millions, cutting off their access to food and aid. The economic crisis has reduced the buying power of vulnerable households, particularly in lower-income countries. Inequality has widened the gap between the rich and poor, urban and rural, and between genders, impacting food security.

The effects of hunger and food waste are devastating, impacting both the present and future generations. Hunger and malnutrition significantly affect health, growth, and well-being, weakening the immune system, increasing disease susceptibility, impairing cognitive and physical abilities, and limiting productivity.

Hunger and malnutrition deeply impact social and emotional well-being, including self-esteem and happiness. They also threaten children’s growth from the prenatal stage, leading to conditions like stunting and malnutrition. These effects can persist, impacting their health, education, and future job prospects.

Food waste strains waste management systems, escalates greenhouse gas emissions, exhausts natural resources, and contributes to biodiversity loss and pollution. Economically, it signifies a loss of value for stakeholders like farmers, processors, retailers, consumers, and governments, undermining efforts to achieve universal food security.

The global hunger crisis and food waste are not just humanitarian emergencies, but also moral failures. Despite an era of abundance and technological progress, millions still struggle with hunger and malnutrition. It’s unjust that while some have access to nutritious foods, others survive on scraps or nothing. The prevalence of food waste amidst hunger highlights our collective failure.

Addressing the global hunger crisis and food waste requires an urgent, collective response from all stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia, media, and individuals. It’s essential for the global community to act quickly and decisively to cater to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable populations through humanitarian assistance and social protection initiatives.

It’s of paramount importance that the international community pledges to long-term solutions. These should focus on building more sustainable and resilient agricultural food systems that can ensure food security and nutrition for all. The ongoing 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA78) in New York provides a timely platform to catalyze such a response.

The UNGA78 is a crucial platform for the global community to unite and commit to eliminating hunger and malnutrition. It’s an opportunity to protect lives and livelihoods while ensuring a better future. Recognizing hunger as not just a problem, but a potential solution, we can unleash human potential by guaranteeing universal access to adequate food and nutrition.

We must seize this opportunity without delay. We can no longer afford the luxury of wasting food. We can’t let any more dreams go to waste.