A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals substantial progress in combating hunger across Latin America and the Caribbean. The 2025 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition indicates that undernourishment has declined for the fourth consecutive year, dropping to 5.1% of the population in 2024 from 6.1% in 2020. This improvement represents 6.2 million people who have escaped hunger through targeted interventions.
The progress demonstrates that strategic public policies can generate tangible transformation when national authorities demonstrate strong political commitment. Key successful measures have included economic recovery programs, social protection systems, support for family farming, productive innovation, and the promotion of agrifood trade.
Despite these achievements, significant challenges remain. More than 33 million people in the region still suffer from hunger, while approximately 167 million face food insecurity. An additional 181 million cannot afford a healthy diet, and 141 million adults live with obesity, creating a complex paradox of malnutrition where undernourishment coexists with overweight problems.
The high cost of healthy eating remains a critical barrier, with a healthy diet priced at $5.16 PPP dollars per person daily—the highest rate globally. This economic challenge is compounded by limited access to fresh, nutritious foods and the increasing impacts of extreme climate events on agrifood systems.
The upcoming 39th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC39) presents a crucial opportunity for dialogue and decision-making. Priority actions include strengthening family farming and sustainable production systems, expanding school feeding programs, implementing targeted subsidies for vulnerable populations, and improving urban food environments.
Additional strategies involve modernizing food supply systems, fostering agrifood trade, expanding social protection programs, investing in innovation and digitalization for climate resilience, and mobilizing large-scale investments through initiatives like the Hand-in-Hand Initiative.
FAO continues to support member states through data generation, technical cooperation, and investment mobilization, implementing its Strategic Framework 2022–2031 through four Regional Priorities aligned with the ‘Four Betters’: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life.