With hunger rates rising around the world, food production is expected to grow 70% by 2050

The number is higher than that recorded in 2015, when it is estimated that 777 million people were in a situation of hunger. The warning was given by the representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Brazil, Alan Jorge Bojanic, during the first panel of the Global Agribusiness Forum (GAF18), which runs until tomorrow, July 24th, at the Sheraton WTC Hotel, in São Paulo (SP).

Africa, according to him, continues to be the continent most affected by hunger, where 28% of the population does not have access to food. Brazil, despite being the largest food producer in the world, was also cited by the FAO representative when mentioning that 2,5% of Brazilians are still affected by the lack of food. “In the last two years, malnutrition rates have increased in Brazil and this is inconceivable,” said Bojanic.

Access to food was cited as the biggest obstacle to solving the problem of hunger in the world, since today food production is enough to feed the entire population. Poverty, lack of investment in agriculture, price instability and waste were also cited as impeding factors in solving the problem.

The challenge only tends to increase. PWC (Pricewaterhouse Coopers) consultant Ana Paula Malvestio says that demand for food is expected to grow 70% by 2050, driven mainly by the E7 countries (China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey), which will be among the 12 largest economies in the world and with an urban population estimated at 6,3 billion people.

Brazil and other countries in the Americas play an important role in this scenario, as they are the regions with the largest arable area on the planet. According to the former Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues, food production should increase by 20% in the world, but Brazil has the potential and responsibility to grow by 41% in the next 10 years. To achieve this, agriculture and livestock farming will have to be even more efficient, producing more with less and using more sustainable models in the use of resources such as water and energy.