New UN Report: 74 percent of Latin American and Caribbean countries are highly exposed to extreme weather events, affecting food security – PAHO/WHO

Climate variability and extreme climatic events (such as droughts, floods and storms) are reducing agricultural productivity, interrupting food supply chains, price increase, the impact of food environments and the threat of progress in reduction in reduction of hunger and malnutrition in the region.

January 27, 2025, Santiago, Chile: Climate variability patterns and extreme climatic events are negatively affecting all dimensions of food safety and exacerbating other underlying causes of malnutrition in all its forms in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the 2024 Regional Description of Food Security and Nutrition. The report, published today, states that Latin America and the Caribbean is the second most exposed region in the world to extreme climatic events, after Asia.

In this region, at least 20 countries (74 percent of the countries analyzed) face a high frequency of such events, indicating a significant exposure, and 14 (52 percent) are considered vulnerable, since they are more likely to experience a breach due to these phenomena. The impact of extreme climatic events is further worsen over persistent structural challenges, including conflicts, economic decelerations, crises and underlying factors, such as high levels of inequality, lack of access to affordable healthy diets and food environments not healthy.

According to the report, between 2019 and 2023, the prevalence of the nocturnal increased by 1.5 percentage points in countries affected by climatic variability and extremes. The situation is worse in countries that experience economic recessions. The most vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, since they have less resources to adapt.

The report underlines the urgent need to accelerate the action to develop resilience within agrofood systems, which are critical for the progress of the region towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition in all its forms. The report emphasizes that guaranteeing long -term sustainability of agrofood systems is essential.

Hunger and food insecurity decreased for the second consecutive year

According to the report, hunger affected 41 million people in the region in 2023. This represents a decrease of 2.9 million people compared to 2022 and 4.3 million compared to 2021. However, despite regional progress, disparities They persist among the subregions. The prevalence of hunger has increased in the last two years in the Caribbean, reaching 17.2 percent, while it has remained relatively stable in Mesoamerica, with 5.8 percent.

With respect to moderate or severe food insecurity, the region also showed progress for the second consecutive year, falling below the world average for the first time in 10 years. A total of 187.6 million people in the region experienced food insecurity, 19.7 million less than in 2022 and 37.3 million less than in 2021.

This reduction is attributed to the economic recovery of several South American countries, promoted by social protection programs, post-pondemic economic efforts and specific political to improve food access.

The report also highlights that food insecurity disproportionately affects certain population groups, such as rural communities and women. The gender gap in Latin America and the Caribbean is still higher than the global average.

The challenge of malnutrition in the midst of climatic variability

The FAO Deputy Director General and Regional Representative of Latin America and the Caribbean, Mario Lubetkin highlighted the relevance of regional description 2024 taking into account that: «Climate variability and extremes are a threat to the stability of food security and nutrition. He added: «El» el «Los» the importance of implementing a comprehensive response, based on policies and actions designed to strengthen the capacity of agricultural systems.

Regarding malnutrition, the report establishes that in 2022, growth affected 22.3 percent of children under five years around the world. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the prevalence was estimated at 11.5 percent, significantly below the global average. While the region has achieved remarkable progress since the change of millennium, progress has slowed in recent years.

«In Latin America and the Caribbean, one in ten children under five lives with delay in delay. The lack of malnutrition and overweight coexist in the region, exacerbated by high exposure and vulnerability to weather events in communities more affected. «Any decision on climatic action must prioritize the right to food and nutrition for children, women and families.»

In 2022, 5.6 percent of children under five years around the world were overweight, compared to 8.6 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 3.0 percentage points above the global estimate. Regional prevalence has also grown faster than the global rate, increasing by 1.2 percentage points between 2012 and 2022, compared to only 0.1 percentage points worldwide. The trends in the region vary significantly, since South America mainly promoted the increase, while Mesoamerica and the Caribbean have shown greater stability in recent years.

The report also identifies economic barriers to access healthy diets as a critical issue. In 2022, 182.9 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean could not afford a healthy diet. This marks an improvement of 2.4 percentage points compared to 2021, which means that 14.3 million more people can now pay a healthy diet.

«Overweight and obesity are increasing challenges in the region and key risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. A healthy diet is the basis for health, well -being and growth and development. The PAHO positions health as a stone Angular to transform food systems, promote fiscal policies such as taxes, public food acquisition policies, advertising regulations (including breast milk substitutes), food safety, product reformulation and pause front labeling, » said Jarbas Barbosa, director of the American Pan Health Organization.

The disparities also persist among the subregions in access to healthy diets. In the Caribbean, 50 percent of the population (22.2 million people) could not afford a healthy diet, followed by Mesoamerica with 26.3 percent (47.1 million people) and South America to 26 percent (113.6 million of people). This highlights the need to focus on vulnerable populations exposed to extreme climatic events.

“Climate shocks make it more and more difficult for families in Latin America and the Caribbean to produce, transport and access food. Frequent storms and floods are destroying houses and farmland, while drought and erratic rains are eliminating crops before they can grow, ”said Lola Castro, regional director of the WFP for Latin America and the Caribbean. «As extreme climatic events intensify, WFP is working with communities and governments to strengthen food security, protect the most vulnerable and build resistant food systems that can resist the climatic crisis,» he added.

Agencies emphasized the need to further accelerate investments and actions to create long -term capacities to address climate variability and extreme climatic events.

Rossana Polastri, regional director of Latin America and the Caribbean of Fasad, declared: «We are moving forward in the fight against hunger, but the numbers still exceed pre-pandemic levels, which shows that there is a lot of work to do. We must redouble the Efforts to adapt food systems to the effects of climate change, whose negative impacts exacerbate food insecurity.

The Regional Description of Food Safety and Nutrition of 2024 is a joint publication of the United Nations Food and Food Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (FIAD), the organization Pan American Health/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the World Food Program (PMA) and the United Nations Fund for the United Nations (UNICEF).

Press links

FAO
María Elena Álvarez
María.alvarez@fao.org
Paulina Bravo P.
Paulina.bravoprida@fao.org

Fiad
Roberto González Jiménez
r.gonzalezjimenez@ifad.org

Pah/who
Ashley Baldwin
Mediateam@paho.org
Sebastián Oliel
Mediateam@paho.org

UNICEF
SENDAI ZEA
sczea@unicef.org

WFP
María Gallar
Maria.gallar@wfp.org