Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series on food security around the world.
Over the past 30 years, as economies in the region developed and democratic gains were made, Latin America has undeniably seen major progress in the fight against hunger. Since 2000, the number of Latin Americans suffering from undernourishment has dropped from more than 60 million to 39 million. From Mexico to Argentina, leaders have felt optimistic. Compared to Africa and Asia, few places in the developing world were tackling food security and nutrition-related health risks with quite the same rigor and effectiveness.
It was with that kind of progress in mind that the World Health Organization and the United Nations laid out hugely ambitious development goals in 2015 that included ending hunger and achieving food security by 2030. But since then, the number of undernourished people in the world has actually grown, now having surpassed 820 million, the highest in seven years. Despite its track record, Latin America has hardly been immune to this trend.