2025 global food security report launched in Addis Ababa amid rising concern over nutrition gaps

Addis Ababa, July 28, 2025 (FMC) — The 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report was officially launched today in Addis Ababa, spotlighting worsening global hunger trends and the growing unaffordability of healthy diets, particularly in low-income countries.

The high-level launch took place on the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktaking Moment at the UN Economic Commission for Africa headquarters, in the presence of global leaders, UN officials, and policymakers.

President of Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, who addressed the event, described the report as a critical policy tool for confronting the global food crisis and mobilizing long-term solutions.

“The data provided are a sobering call to all of us, and clearly show the gravity of this food security crisis and the immense challenge that lies before us,” President Taye said.

He emphasized the need for collective, coordinated action across national, regional, and global levels, and called attention to the report’s findings on food price inflation and its impact on vulnerable populations.

The report, jointly produced by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, presents the latest estimates on hunger and food insecurity worldwide, while assessing progress toward Sustainable Development Goals 2.1 and 2.2: ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

This year’s edition places particular focus on the global rise in food prices and its erosion of purchasing power, especially in developing countries. It also analyzes underlying inflationary drivers and outlines key policy responses.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, who also addressed the launch, warned that millions of families are being forced to make difficult decisions due to the cost of food.

“Since 2020, food price inflation has consistently outpaced general inflation in low-income countries,” she said. “This means skipping meals, selling assets, or taking children out of school just to afford to eat.”

She underscored that overlapping crises—ranging from conflict and climate shocks to displacement—are exposing the fragility of current food systems.

“Cooperation must replace conflict,” Mohammed stressed. “We must transform how we feed the world—urgently, inclusively, and systemically.”

The SOFI launch in Addis Ababa was a central feature of the UNFSS+4 summit, which provides a global platform to assess progress since the 2021 Food Systems Summit and to renew commitments toward achieving food security and nutrition for all by 2030.