2022-01-11-联合国粮农组织-拉丁美洲和加勒比地区美国粮食安全与营养2021（英）_62页_4mb

Latin America and the Caribbean Food Security and Nutrition Regional Overview 2021

Key Findings

1. Prevalence of Undernourishment

   • Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) had a 2 percentage point increase in hunger prevalence from 2019 to 2020 (9.1%), affecting 59.7 million people.
   • South America had the lowest prevalence at 7.8% (49.7 million), while Mesoamerica showed the largest increase (2.5 p.p.) reaching 16.1%. Caribeana subregion declined slightly to 16.1%.

2. Overall Food Insecurity

   • 40.9% of LAC’s population (267 million) experienced moderate–or severe food insecurity in 2020, an increase of 9 percentage points due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
   • Caribbean subregion recorded the highest prevalence (39.2%), while Mesoamerica saw a sharp increase in both hunger (16.6 p.p.) and malnutrition.

3. Child Malnutrition

   • Stunting prevalence (1.3%) is well below the global average (22.0%), but progress slowed, with LAC on track to meet the 2030 target.
   • Overweight prevalence among children under five rose to 7.5% in 2020, higher than the global average and expected to surpass the 2030 goal if trends continue.

4. Nutritional Deficiencies

   • Adult obesity (~24%) and the prevalence of anaemia (17.2%) showed mixed trends; anaemia stagnated, undermining long-term targets.

These trends highlight increasing challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to food security and nutrition due to economic shocks and system inefficiencies.