Figures will from now on be collated over three year periods, he said.
“We note with particular concern that the recovery of the world economy from the recent global financial crisis remains fragile,” said Graziano da Silva.
However, despite the warnings of a slowdown in beating hunger, the report said the damage done by the crisis was not as bad as had been expected.
“The increase in hunger during 2007-2010, the period characterized by food price and economic crises, was less severe than previously estimated,” it said.
The knock-on effect of “economic shocks to many developing countries” from the struggling West in particular “was less pronounced than initially thought.”
“Recent GDP estimates suggest that the ‘great recession’ of 2008-09 resulted in only a mild slowdown in many developing countries, and increases in domestic staple food prices were very small in China, India and Indonesia,” it added.
“In order to reduce undernourishment as rapidly as possible, growth must not only benefit the poor, but must also be nutrition-sensitive” – FAO.
Boosting the lagging fight against hunger will rely on “strong economic growth,” which leads to greater dietary diversity as salaries rise, as well as government action, including financing public nutrition and health programmes.
“Growth alone is unlikely to make a significant impact on hunger reduction.
“In order to reduce undernourishment as rapidly as possible, growth must not only benefit the poor, but must also be nutrition-sensitive,” the FAO said.
“Improving food security and nutrition is about more than just increasing the quantity of energy intake – it is also about improving the quality of food in terms of dietary diversity, nutrient content and safety,”
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