Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) is the United Nations’ goal to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” by 2030.
In 2025, the glaring lag in achieving SDG2 is largely due to extreme weather events, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, food price surges, and geopolitical disruptions.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 (SOFI) reports on the causes and impacts of food price inflation, examines its effects on different food groups and diet affordability, and offers effective policy interventions to help countries end hunger, food insecurity, and all forms of malnutrition.
Its latest assessment of world hunger – measured by the prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) – shows signs of improvement in recent years, largely driven by Asia, Southern Asia and South America. Between 638 and 720 million people (up to 8.8% of the global population) faced hunger in 2024, representing a decrease of 15 million since 2023.
Conversely, there’s been a steady rise in hunger in most subregions of Africa and in Western Asia, where the PoU was >20% and 12.7% respectively in 2024.
Wat SA betref, berig Statistiek SA dat verhoogde ekonomiese aktiwiteit in hortologie- en dierprodukte die landbou-, bosbou- en visserybedryf in die eerste kwartaal in 2025 ‘n hupstoot toegedien het. Daardeur is bedryfsgoei van 15.8% asook ‘n 0.4% bydrae tot BBP-groei teweeggebring. Ten spyte van klimaat-, ekonomiese en siekteverwante uitdagings bly die landbousektor ‘n merkwaardige rolspeler in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. En wat die plaaslike varsvrugtebedryf betref, hou bedryfrolspelers aan om saam met produsente heersende uitdagings kaalvuis aan te pak. Dis hoekom die >300 000 plaaswerkers en hul >1 miljoen afhanklikes kos op hul tafels het.
Your read in this edition includes a look at AI and African food systems, the table-grape packaging puzzle, future-fit pome- and stone-fruit orchards and combatting fruit fly – a serious threat to the South African fresh fruit industry.
May World Food Day (16 October) prompt us to act in our personal capacity, and as a collective.
Enjoy the read.
Catherine