This year has been marked by brutal conflicts across the Middle East, Ukraine, and Africa, as well as devastating natural disasters like the floods in Eastern Australia and Nigeria, destructive wildfires in California and extreme weather events such as severe heatwaves in Pakistan. Against this backdrop, global food security faces severe threats.

In response to these challenges, more than 150 Nobel and World Food Prize laureates, including economist Joseph Stiglitz and the Dalai Lama, called at the beginning of 2025 for a “moonshot” initiative to dramatically boost agricultural resilience and efficiency. The laureats warn that current food production is insufficient to meet the needs of the world’s rapidly growing population by 2050 and urge unprecedented investment in breakthrough innovations.

To better understand where we stand and what solutions could help, INGLOSUS Foundation spoke with Ute Klamert, former Assistant Executive Director at World Food Programme and Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the World Food Programme’s Innovation Accelerator, about the state of global food security and progress toward achieving the United Nations’ second Sustainable Development Goal: Zero Hunger (SDG 2).

Ms. Klamert, how realistic is it to end global hunger by 2030, given today’s conflicts and climate crises?

“Hunger is the most solvable problem! Until 2030 it is possible to end hunger worldwide – despite the rising number of current conflicts and extreme climate events.” ~ Ute Klamert.

According to the UN’s latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, over 735 million people faced chronic hunger in 2024 – an increase driven by war, climate shocks, and economic instability. Conflicts in places like Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine, combined with climate disasters such as the catastrophic floods in Nigeria and wildfires in California, have made access to food more fragile. Yet experts emphasize that the global community already has the tools and knowledge needed to tackle hunger if political will and coordinated action keep pace.

If we produce enough food, why are people still going hungry?

“Globally more food is produced than needed – however the management of food distribution and quality of food consumption is the real problem.” ~Ute Klamert.

Indeed, the world produces enough calories to feed everyone. But an estimated 14% of food is lost after harvest, and 17% is wasted at the retail and consumer level (FAO). Beyond waste, inequalities in infrastructure, logistics, and political barriers often prevent food from reaching those who need it most. For example, food surpluses in one region can coincide with famine in another due to broken supply chains, conflict, or trade restrictions.

Why has food production slowed down in some countries but not others?

“In least developed countries, food production has plateaued since the beginning of the century due to post‑harvest losses and inefficient food production systems. Food waste, however, is the significant pattern in developed countries.” ~Ute Klamert

In poorer countries, limited access to cold storage, modern irrigation, and transport leads to spoilage and low yields. Meanwhile, wealthier nations throw away millions of tonnes of edible food annually. According to UNEP’s Food Waste Index, roughly 931 million tonnes of food is wasted globally each year – almost enough to feed 1.26 billion hungry people.

What about nutrition, not just calories?

“One third of the world’s population cannot afford a healthy diet and as a result, 2 billion do not meet their vitamin and mineral requirements, with severe effects on their physical and cognitive development.”

Micronutrient deficiencies that stunt growth, weaken immune systems and limit learning potential, remains a silent crisis. Children are especially vulnerable: undernutrition is linked to 45% of all deaths of children under 5 (WHO). And the gap is growing: healthy diets are five times more expensive than calorie‑dense, nutrient‑poor alternatives.

How can hunger and obesity exist side by side?

“At the same time, changing dietary patterns and lifestyles (e.g., higher consumption of processed foods; less exercise in everyday life) have led to an increase in overweight and obesity in the world, including in countries that continue to be severely affected by hunger.” ~Ute Klamert

Over 2.6 billion people are overweight or obese, while hunger persists in the same communities. The rise of highly processed foods, urbanization, and sedentary work have contributed to rising rates of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases even in low‑income regions.

Is boosting food production alone enough to solve hunger?

“However, improving food production and creating income are not sufficient to combat hunger and malnutrition. Holistic approaches to improve food systems are essential to move forward to get to a world with zero hunger (SDG 2).” ~Ute Klamert

Experts increasingly argue for transforming food systems rather than treating hunger as a production issue alone. This means investing in climate‑resilient agriculture, reducing waste, ensuring equitable food distribution, promoting nutrition education, and supporting local farmers. Only by transforming food systems as a whole can the world move closer to achieving Zero Hunger (SDG 2) by 2030.

Beyond addressing production gaps and food waste, real progress depends on reimagining how food systems work – making them fairer, smarter and more resilient. This is where innovation plays a critical role. Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the World Food Programme’s Innovation Accelerator, explains how technology, partnerships, and local action can bring us closer to achieving Zero Hunger.

Mr. Kowatsch, how can innovation and technology truly help end global hunger?

“At the World Food Programme, we see first-hand how innovation and technology can help us make real progress toward Zero Hunger.” ~ Bernhard Kowatsch,

The World Food Programme’s Innovation Accelerator alone has supported over 120 projects worldwide. From mobile apps that connect smallholder farmers directly to markets, to AI-powered tools forecasting droughts and optimizing food distribution, the WFP is reshaping the fight against hunger through innovative methods.

What does it mean to rethink humanitarian aid?

“From harnessing data and advanced technologies to forging public-private partnerships, we are redefining the way humanitarian aid is delivered working together with local communities across the globe.” ~Bernard Kowatsch

Digital tools like blockchain are being used to track food from warehouses to families, increasing transparency and cutting waste. Collaborations with tech companies, startups and local NGOs help the WFP to design solutions that are locally owned while bridging global expertise with community knowledge.

Why focus on local solutions and resilience?

“We support sustainable solutions enabling smallholder farmers, strengthening local markets and increasing resilience to shocks.” ~Bernhard Kowatsch

Around 500 million smallholder farms produce roughly a third of the world’s food, yet many farmers still face poverty and food insecurity themselves. Supporting them through access to finance, climate-resilient seeds, and digital training, strengthens entire food systems against climate change and market volatility.

Is ending hunger really possible?

“Ending global hunger is more than a global ambition. It’s our collective commitment to build a future where every individual has access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive.” ~Bernhard Kowatsch

Despite progress in global agriculture, food insecurity continues to rise.

This is the current global situation:

  • Africa is the most affected, with 20.4% of its population undernourished.
  • In 2024, 295 million people in 53 countries experienced acute food insecurity, with 1.9 million facing famine-like conditions.
  • Conflict zones (e.g., Gaza, Sudan, Haiti) account for 65% of the most severe cases.

These are the key challenges:

  • Conflict and war disrupt farming and aid delivery
  • Climate change threatens harvests
  • Rising food prices due to weather shocks
  • Funding gaps: Humanitarian aid is too low.

These are the key solutions:

  • Sustainable agriculture needs major investment
  • Food waste reduction is crucial
  • Digital tools and data can help to prevent local crises

Outlook

The world is not on track to meet the 2030 Zero Hunger goal. Even if progress is made, projections suggest 669 million people will still face hunger by 2025. At the same time, obesity and poor nutrition continue to rise, highlighting deep systemic failures in our food systems. While innovations and financing strategies offer hope, urgent action is needed. Without coordinated global action, the food crisis could deepen further—especially for the world’s most vulnerable. That’s why the INGLOSUS Foundation seeks to foster cross‑segmental dialogue between policymakers, business, academia, and civil society to help identify practical solutions and drive action. To learn more about our initiatives, visit our websites www.inglosus.org and www.digisustain.de.

 

Sources:

Ute Klamert Interview on 17 March 2025

Bernhard Interview on 25 February 2025

State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 (SOFI report, FAO / IFAD / UNICEF / WFP / WHO). Link: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc7724en

UNEP Food Waste Index 2021. Link: https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021

FAO – The State of Food and Agriculture 2019: Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction. Link: https://www.fao.org/3/ca6030en/ca6030en.pdf

WHO – Malnutrition facts & figures. Link: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition

World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator. Link: https://innovation.wfp.org/

World Food Prize Foundation – Nobel & World Food Prize laureates call for “moonshot” (January 2025) Link: https://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/87428/49187/more_than_150_nobel_and_world_food_prize_laureates_issue_unprecedented_wakeup_call_over_hunger_tipping_point