Hunger in Latin America Keeps Falling – Now Healthy Diets Must Become Affordable

Latin America and the Caribbean has the world’s most expensive healthy diet. Credit: Max Valencia / FAOOpinion by Máximo Torero (rome)Thursday, July 23, 2026Inter Press Service ROME, July 23 (IPS) - Hunger is falling across most of Latin America and the Caribbean. The region’s next challenge is harder: ensuring that everyone can afford a healthy diet, not merely enough calories to survive. The regional hunger rate fell for a fifth consecutive year in 2025, reaching a record low of 4.8 percent, down from the pandemic peak of 6.1 percent in 2020. About 32 million people faced hunger, more than 1 million fewer than in 2024 and 7.5 million fewer than in 2020. Moderate or severe food insecurity, which includes people forced to skip meals or eat less, also fell to 22.9 percent, below its 2015 level of 23.4 percent. The region’s share of the world’s hungry has remained at about 5 percent for 15 years.This progress was not accidental. It reflects sustained investment in agricultural productivity and stronger social protection, including the cash transfer and school feeding programs developed by Brazil and Mexico.The countries recording the largest gains differ greatly, but their policies r...