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DW
29-07-2025
- Business
- DW
UN warns of rising hunger across Africa – DW – 07/29/2025
The number of hungry people around the world reduced for a third straight year in 2024. But across Africa, conflict, climate change, and economic shocks are increasing hunger and malnutrition. A global report released Monday projects that Africa will account for nearly 60% of the world's hungry people by 2030. The report, jointly prepared by five United Nations agencies says more than one in five people on the African continent — about 307 million — were chronically undernourished in 2024, meaning hunger is more prevalent than it was 20 years ago. Around 673 million people, or 8.2% of the world's population, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2023, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report (SOFI). "The extreme food insecurity is being driven by conflict, and we have the largest number of conflicts in the last decade," Alvaro Mario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The gap between global food price inflation and overall inflation peaked in January 2023, driving up the cost of diets and hitting low-income nations hardest, the report said. Productivity gains are not keeping up with high population growth and the impacts of conflict, extreme weather and inflation. Conflicts in hotspot areas such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have driven people to extreme situations. "Hunger feeds future instability and undermines peace," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in remarks delivered by video link to the Food Systems Summit in Ethiopia on Monday. Some African countries have been hamstrung by debt overhang which experts describe as a hindrance to public expenditure on food. "Many African countries are struggling with repayments on their debt," Mario told DW, adding that high interests on debt are taking up 10-25% of public expenditure. "This is clearly distracting a lot of the potential investment. We are wanting to support many of these countries with debt relief or debt interest payments," he said. According to the SOFI report, the percentage and the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet has decreased significantly in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, North America and Europe. But it rose across Africa, from 64.1% in 2019 to 66.6% in 2024, representing an increase from 864 million to 1 billion people. In some countries like Nigeria the steepest food price increases were in starchy staple foods and oils. Staples form the core of diets for the poorest households, and such increases can undermine food security and nutrition. "Where diets are least affordable, wasting and stunting rates are simultaneously highest," Tendai Gunda, a public health nutritionist told DW. She added that price and income dynamics are now a dominant pathway through which malnutrition, under-nutrition, micro-nutrient deficiency and diet related non-communicable diseases persist. Food security organizations have called for political will, strong public financing, and development plans to achieve food self-sufficiency. "It is important that more countries focus on becoming self-sufficient, so that many of the small scale farmers not only produce, but are able to sell onto markets," IFAD President Mario said, adding: "Investments would be fundamental if we want to tackle both poverty and hunger in rural areas." Nutritionists have also urged governments to classify agri-food supply chains as essential services and maintain open intra-African trade corridors. "Nutrition governance should be supported through funding of multi-sectoral food and nutrition councils," said Gunda. Gunda says governments should also elevate women's land use and finance rights, a policy that has proven to improve child and maternal health. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Investment of USD 75 bn needed for Indian farmers to adapt to climate change impact: IFAD President
Investments worth around USD 75 billion is required for small-scale farmers in India to adapt to the impact of climate change, and bringing finance to rural areas is a critical challenge ahead for rural communities across the world and in India, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario said. In an interview to PTI, Lario said for IFAD in India, the three big questions are, "how do we make agriculture more remunerative for farmers, how do we enhance productivity at the same time as we're tackling a lot of the climate shocks and how do we move from food security to nutrition security." Founded in 1977 in response to a global food crisis, IFAD is a specialised United Nations agency and an international financial institution that tackles hunger and poverty in rural communities. Asked about the impact of climate change on the rural sectors, especially on small and marginal farmers, Lario said it's a key focus. "Small-scale farmers need approximately at least 75 billion US dollars to adapt to many of these climate shocks," Lario told PTI. Live Events According to the 10th agriculture census of 2015-16, small and marginal farmers with less than two hectares of land account for 86.2 per cent of all farmers in India, but own just 47.3 per cent of the farming land. "In case of India we're seeing seasonal water scarcity, rising temperatures, more frequent droughts, so there's a lot of investments that can actually support these small-scale farmers globally. In global climate finance, what we're seeing is that these small-scale producers, hundreds of millions of rural people, are only receiving less than one per cent of the overall global climate finance," he said. Lario lauded schemes like 'soil health card', and said it gives farmers personalised recommendations on how they can improve their soil health, as well as incentives to adopt treat irrigation and other water-saving technologies. "The challenges remain and we're seeing that many of the farmers are still struggling to adopt some of the climate smart practices. So still we need to continue investing, we are investing with the government at the central and state levels in India," he said. "For example in Maharashtra, in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, where we are bringing too many of these investments climate resilient practices that combine sustainability but also with income," he said. He said it's important to focus on how these small-scale farmers can continue increasing their income through crop diversification, improved water management, or micro irrigation systems, and also creating community seed banks or using drought tolerant seeds. "All of this is really gonna have a translation into better lives and better incomes," he said. Lario said IFAD's priority is to mobilise financing, especially long-term financing for rural areas and deliver a long-lasting impact for those who need it most. "We know that agriculture accounts for around 20 per cent of GDP in India and it employs around 42 per cent of the workforce. So even though there has been a lot of progress, we believe that continuing investing in pro-poor inclusive value chain and connecting small-scale producers to markets continues to be fundamental," he said. He also stressed on bringing private capital into the sector. "We're also trying to bring private capital, private local companies with the government by really bringing a partnership of the public, the private, and the producers themselves. We're also adopting agro-ecological approaches that are currently supporting commercially viable and sustainable value chains so that once more the goal is to improve the income of small-scale farmers and also the resilience to shock," he said. Lario gave the example of Meghalaya, where IFAD has promoted and incubated a number of market-driven enterprises which are offering agri-entrepreneurs incubation, mentoring, credit, and access to markets. In Mizoram, he said, IFAD is promoting integrated farming, bringing together crops, livestock, agroforestry, in community-led clusters. "We're introducing weather-based crop planning which is also enabling farmers to align the sowing with the rainfall forecast thereby reducing climate risk," he said. He said IFAD was the first UN funded programme which received two credit ratings, and currently they're issuing bonds that are being bought by pension funds and central banks all over the world. "We are also bringing capital and investment, especially private capital to these rural areas," he said. "We're currently using our own financing to co-invest with the private sector by directly investing in agri-enterprises, in local financial institutions and in value chain institutions that are very much serving small holder farmers," he said. Lario further said the strategy is very much aligned with the Indian government's approach and over decades. According to IFAD, it has invested over USD 1.5 billion in India in the last 45 years, reaching over 6 million families. "Our focus has been very much on investing in women, in tribal communities, small-scale producers and also on strengthening community institutions," he added.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Assets under farming initiative transferred to Nagaland govt
Dimapur: Six years after successfully completing its project in Nagaland, the Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Framing System in the Northeast (FOCUS) on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to hand over its assets to the line departments in the state to continue its work. The handing over of assets and signing of MoA was held under the chairmanship of chief secretary J Alam at the Nagaland civil secretariat. The FOCUS project, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, aimed to enhance the climate resilience and agricultural income of 1,18,000 households in Nagaland. The project completion workshop was held in Kohima on June 3, leading to the creation and strengthening of vital agricultural and allied infrastructure, improved market access, and played a transformative role in enhancing rural livelihoods and economy.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Nagaland's agri project FOCUS completed, to benefit 1.18L households
Dimapur: Nagaland's agriculture project to strengthen cultivation systems and improving farmers' incomes called — Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming System in the Northeast (FOCUS) — has successfully concluded, marking a significant milestone in the state's agricultural development. Speaking at the project completion workshop in Kohima on Tuesday, agriculture production commissioner and mission director of FOCUS, Wezope Kenye, said the success of the project was a result of collaborative efforts, shared vision, and the determination of all stakeholders. Kenye said FOCUS is the first externally aided project in Nagaland's agriculture sector, implemented in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). "This initiative represents a pioneering step in strengthening farming systems and improving agricultural incomes across the state, laying a strong foundation for further sectoral development and institutional growth," Kenye said. With over 70% of Nagaland's population dependent on agriculture, the project has played a transformative role in enhancing income opportunities, building climate resilience, and empowering farming communities to adapt and thrive. The project, which commenced on Jan 25, 2018, was originally scheduled to conclude by March 31, 2024. However, due to Covid-19-related challenges, an extension was required. "Despite setbacks, FOCUS successfully reached 645 villages across nine districts, directly benefiting approximately 1,18,000 households, covering nearly 89% of the target group," he said. The initiative led to the development of vital agricultural infrastructure, improved market access, and strengthened rural livelihoods, significantly boosting local economies. Kenye said the project invested in market access facilities, community seed banks, and logistical assets such as refrigerated vans, ensuring long-term support for farming communities. Country programme analyst, IFAD CO, Piyush Kanal, highlighted the activities and achievements of the project, reinforcing its impact on sustainable agriculture in Nagaland.
LeMonde
17-05-2025
- General
- LeMonde
The number of people facing the risk of famine worldwide has doubled in a year
For the sixth consecutive year, the number of people facing the highest levels of acute food insecurity has been rising, while budgets for food aid and development are plummeting. The Global Report on Food Crises, which compiles data from several international agencies (the World Food Program, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), among others), which was published on Friday, May 16, presents a worrying panorama. In 2024, nearly 300 million people in 53 countries analyzed were facing a food crisis − an increase of 13.7 million compared to 2023. Taking into account the sheer numbers, as well as the prevalence, these figures are unprecedented, even in spite of a slightly more restricted number of countries analyzed compared to last year. "Hunger and malnutrition are spreading faster than our ability to respond," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wrote in the preamble of the report. While other periodic assessments document chronic food insecurity across the planet, this particular report on food crises focuses on analyzing the most extreme hunger hotspots – often following a "shock" (an armed conflict, an economic crisis or a climatic event) – that require an emergency response. It relies on a food insecurity classification scale that distinguishes five levels before famine.
