In 76 low- and middle-income countries studied by USDA, the total number of food-insecure people—those who consume less than the nutritional target of roughly 2,100 calories per person per day—is estimated at 475 million in 2015, a 9-percent decrease from 2014. As a result, the share of the population of these countries that is food insecure decreased from just under 15 percent in 2014 to an estimated 13.4 percent in 2015.
The food security situation in the countries studied is projected to deteriorate at the aggregate level over the next decade. The number of food-insecure people is projected to increase 31 percent to 622 million, with the share of the population that is food insecure rising to just over 15 percent. The projected rise in food insecurity is driven largely by just a few countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Bangladesh, Yemen and India in Asia.
In the Sub Saharan Africa countries, high population growth and civil strife are contributing factors to the unfavorable outlook for food security, while in Asia, continued political instability is the driving factor. Latin America’s food security situation is projected to improve as growth in grain output and imports exceed the slowing population growth.
Source:usda.gov