LAC achieved the goal of the Millennium Development Goals and the World Food Summit

Photo credit: FAO

Political commitment, economic growth and social safety nets and programs have been key to the region’s success.

Latin America and the Caribbean: World’s first region to reach both international hunger goals

Latin America and the Caribbean has taken a huge step towards the total eradication of hunger by reducing both the percentage and total number of undernourished people to less than half, says FAO’s latest report, the Panorama of Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean 2015, released today.

According to the report, in 1990-92, Latin America and the Caribbean began the challenge of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with 14.7% of its population affected by hunger: in 2014-16 this prevalence has fallen to 5.5%, so that the region achieved the hunger goal of the MDGs.

The region also met the goal of the World Food Summit (WFS), having reduced the total number of undernourished people to 34.3 million.

“The region’s success story is based on the positive macroeconomic situation during the past two decades and the solid and continued political commitment of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean with the eradication of hunger,” said Raul Benitez, FAO’s Regional Representative.

The FAO report notes that regional progress is mainly due to the success of the Southern Cone countries, but the commitment to hunger can be seen throughout the region: seventeen countries achieved the hunger goal of the MDGs (more than in any other region of the planet) and eleven reached the WFS target.

Benitez said that thanks to economic growth, increased public spending on social matters and public policies focused on the most vulnerable, Latin America and the Caribbean today represents a smaller share of global hunger.

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Read the full article: FAO