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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has released its most recent report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. The report shows various trends regarding global hunger and what is being done on the issue. Here are some of the key takeaways:

First, the report says that the proportion of the world population facing chronic hunger in 2022 was around 9.2% – roughly 735 million people.

The FAO says that this is 122 million more than in 2019, just one year before the pandemic. Moreover, the 2022 number did not significantly change from hunger numbers in 2021.

In an interview on the report’s main findings, FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero explained the two reasons why this report showed no improvement in ending hunger.

The FAO notes that areas including Asia and Latin America showed improvement in reducing the hungry population. However, the areas where hunger is specifically “on the rise” include Western Asia, the Caribbean, and all sub regions of Africa.

The African continent appears to be suffering the worst from hunger. As the Christian Post reports, about one in five people on the continent face hunger, which is more than twice the global average.

The report also takes a special focus on urbanization, claiming it is causing “changes throughout agrifood systems.” Torero explains that urbanization is a double-sided coin, providing both challenges and opportunities in creating access to foods.

As for where to go from here, the report does offer some guidance and promotes policies and investments to promote and create healthier food environments in nations around the world.