The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu, said on Wednesday at least 2.8 billion people across the world cannot afford healthy diets.
Dongyu stated this during the 2024 World Food Day global ceremony with the theme: “Right to ‘Foods’ for a Better Life and a Better Future.”
The FAO chief pointed out that malnutrition in its various forms existed in all countries and socio-economic classes.
He added that even in high-income economies, people were choosing convenient and unhealthy foods.
Dongyu attributed the problems to challenges in the agricultural food systems where nutritious and diverse foods needed for healthy diets were insufficient and unaffordable.
According to him, food security translates to food availability, accessibility, and affordability.
He said: “With 730 million people facing hunger, it is clear that there is still much work to be done, and FAO’s mandate to ensure food security for all is as valid as ever.
“This World Food Day, I am calling on all to renew their commitments to building more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agricultural food systems that can nourish the world.
“For better production and better nutrition, governments should enable healthy diets for everyone by incentivising the production and sale of more nutritious foods.
“They should also healthily promote their consumption.”
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