King Letsie III’s upbeat despite grim hunger statistics
MOSA MAOENG
MASERU – The 2024 World Food Day celebration in Rome, Italy, highlighted the pressing issue of global food insecurity, with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu emphasising the critical challenges faced by countries struggling with hunger and malnutrition.
During the event, which took place from October 14 to 18 under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future,” Dr. Dongyu delivered a powerful message about the stark realities of food insecurity and the necessary steps to combat it.
Drawing attention to the findings of the 2024 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, Dr. Dongyu noted that the countries most impacted by food insecurity are often those with the least access to finance.
He warned that without strategic interventions, these nations will continue to face devastating consequences, trapped in cycles of poverty, low productivity, and food shortages.
For instance, in Lesotho, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that nearly one third of the population is experiencing acute food insecurity and requires urgent humanitarian assistance. The report underlines that many households in Lesotho are particularly vulnerable, lacking the resilience to recover from economic shocks, with neither savings nor access to credit.
World Food Day, which marks the anniversary of the FAO’s founding in 1945, is a day dedicated to raising awareness about global hunger and promoting efforts to ensure food security for all. This year’s theme resonated with Dr. Dongyu’s call for decisive action, which he expressed during the event:
“Scaling up for food security and rural development is essential. This involves not only mobilising resources but also identifying strategic investment opportunities that can have far-reaching impacts. “The FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative and its Investment Forum, under the umbrella of the World Food Forum, exemplifies this approach.”
The Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which focuses on creating investment partnerships between countries and global stakeholders, was highlighted as a model for tackling the finance gap that many food insecure nations face.
“To solve the lack of access to finance, countries must rely on timely and solid information — data, science, and evidence — to pinpoint needs and develop effective solutions,” Dr. Dongyu explained. He added that FAO’s Geospatial Platform and analytical tools were instrumental in shaping the strategic visions and actions needed to address food security challenges.
The celebration of World Food Day also saw participation from global leaders, including King Letsie III, who reinforced the event’s theme by addressing the profound inequalities in access to food worldwide. In his speech, the King said the theme, “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future,” is not just a vision but a call to action.
“It is a commitment to building a healthier and more equitable tomorrow for all,” he said, urging nations to view access to food as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege.
King Letsie III underscored the alarming statistic that, in 2023, one in 11 people globally, and one in five in Africa, faced hunger.
“The right to food goes beyond merely addressing hunger, it is about ensuring everyone has access to diverse, nutritious foods that contribute to a healthy and dignified life,’ he said.
He lamented that a third of the world’s population cannot afford a healthy diet, which not only exacerbates hunger but also contributes to the growing epidemic of malnutrition, being overweight, and obesity.
Despite the grim statistics, King Letsie III expressed optimism, noting that the power to reverse these trends lies within collective efforts to transform agrifood systems.
“Achieving good nutrition is not just an aspiration, it is an achievable goal that we must strive for collectively,” he said. He called on governments, organisations, and communities to prioritise investments in sustainable agricultural practices that ensure access to healthy diets for all people, regardless of their economic status.
