Rapid economic growth and increased agricultural productivity over the past two decades have reduced the number of undernourished people by almost half. Many developing countries that once suffered from famine and hunger can now meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable. Central and East Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean have made significant progress in eradicating extreme hunger.
These are all huge achievements in line with the goals set by the first Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Unfortunately, severe hunger and malnutrition remain a major impediment to development in many countries. As of 2014, an estimated 795 million people are chronically undernourished, often as a direct result of environmental degradation, drought and biodiversity loss. More than 90 million children under the age of five are seriously underweight. One in four people living in Africa still goes hungry.
