Why Global Food Surplus Coexists with Record Hunger

The United Nations reports that the average daily caloric availability now tops 3,000 calories per person, a level never seen before. Despite this, over 25 % of humanity cannot secure enough food. Household waste adds to the paradox, with daily discarding of more than one billion meals. Land ownership is highly skewed: a single percent of farms control more than 70 % of global arable land, limiting the role of smallholders, many of whom are women or Indigenous peoples, in feeding their communities.

Violence now underpins food insecurity in most of the world’s hunger hotspots, affecting twelve of the thirteen recognized zones. Restrictions on aid deliveries and attacks on humanitarian workers sever critical supply lines. Currently, 266 million people endure acute hunger each day, and 1.4 million individuals are in catastrophic conditions across six nations. Since 2016, the number of people experiencing acute hunger has risen steadily, and the count of those facing famine is nine times higher than in 2016, underscoring war’s role in deepening scarcity.

UN officials urge a rights‑oriented economic model that links social protection, equitable taxation and agricultural policy reforms to poverty reduction. Central to this vision is fair access to land, water and seeds, especially for women farmers and Indigenous communities who often lack state support. Climate action is also essential to protect production from environmental shocks. Strengthening coordination among the Security Council, the Committee on World Food Security and human‑rights monitoring bodies could improve early‑warning systems and hold perpetrators accountable for using starvation as a weapon.