Malnutrition is a global problem. With population and consumption set to rise over the coming decades, achieving food security will require action on many fronts

1. A WORLD OF INSECURITY
GLOBAL SURPLUS
Worldwide, calorie supply is
23% higher than required.
Although at a regional level
there is more than enough food
available, significant variation
exists at the national level —
Haiti and the Central African
Republic, for instance, both have
13% deficits. And availability is
no guarantee of food security.
Access to food, which is
determined by factors such as
location, affordability and
gender, also has a part to play.
AFRICA
17% surplus OCEANIA
14% surplus
NORTH AMERICA
46% surplus
CENTRAL
AMERICA
27% surplus
SOUTH AMERICA
31% surplus
CARIBBEAN
15% surplus
EUROPE
30% surplus
ASIA
20% surplus
97.5%
INCREASEThe daily supply of meat per
person almost doubled
between 1963 and 2013
(see page S18).
SUPPLY MAKE-UP
Globally, cereals are the biggest
source of energy. In Asia, they
made up around 50% of the
region’s daily energy supply in
2013. Sugar and fats made up
the biggest share of North
America’s and Oceania’s daily
energy supply.
OVER AND UNDER
Malnutrition includes both the
over- and underconsumption of
calories. According to the World
Health Organization, nearly 40%
of Oceania’s population is
obese. The highest rates of
undernutrition are in Africa and
the Caribbean, where around
20% of people fail to get
enough calories.
of the global population is
undernourished, equivalent
to around 795 million
people — the fewest people
since records began
in 1990.
10.8%
Population(%)
Africa AsiaEuropeNorth
America
South
America
Central
America
OceaniaCaribbean
Malnutrition is a global problem. With population and consumption set to rise over the
coming decades, achieving food security will require action on many fronts. By Julie Gould,
infographic by Mohamed Ashour.
Malnutrition is a global problem. With population and consumption set to rise over the
coming decades, achieving food security will require action on many fronts. By Julie Gould,
infographic by Mohamed Ashour.
Obese
Undernourished
Estimate (<5%)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Dailyfoodsupply(%)
North America Europe AsiaAfricaSouth
America
Central
America
OceaniaCaribbean
Fruit and vegetablesCereals Sugar and fat Dairy and eggs Meat and fish Other
100
80
60
40
20
0
FOOD SECURITYOUTLOOK

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STOPPING
THE WASTE
Globally, most
pre-household food
waste is fresh produce.
As the population has
grown, so has the
amount of waste. It is
now 74% higher than
it was 30 years ago.
The only region to
significantly reduce
waste is Europe, where
it has almost halved
since 1987.
PRODUCTION BOOST
GROWING GAINS
Food crop production increased significantly in the past half century. The
quantity of cereals grown for human consumption has more than tripled since
1961, while cultivation of vegetables and melons has increased nearly fivefold.
DOING MORE
WITH MORE
The growth in global
production has been
driven more by
rising yields than by
increases in land
used. This varies
regionally, however.
In sub-Saharan
Africa, for example,
cropland expansion
has had the larger
impact.
Annualwaste(milliontonnes)
Yield(tonnesperhectare)
Billiontonnes
Millionhectares
Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization
Cereal import dependency ratio (%; 2009–11)
AUSTRALIA
exports
nearly 80%
of the wheat
it produces.
ARGENTINA
exports more
cereals
compared with
its consump-
tion than any
other nation.
EGYPT
is the biggest
importer of wheat.
In total, around
40% of its food
supply is imported
(see page S14).
Relative to its
population, South
America has the
highest levels of
food waste. This is
driven by sugar —
the crop accounts
for nearly 50% of
South America’s
food waste.
* value < 2 million
26 COUNTRIES
including Barbados,
Kuwait, Congo and
Papua New Guinea
imported more
than 90% of their
cereals between
2009 and 2011.
SPREAD IT AROUND
Many countries do not have
enough land or water resources to
feed their population and have to
rely on potentially volatile global
trade markets. In 2010, around
80% of countries were net
importers of cereals. Caribbean
nations are especially dependent
on imports, whereas South
American and European countries
are the biggest net exporters.
Harvested cropland
has increased by
around 21%
ANNUAL
WASTE PER
CAPITA
Fruit and
vegetables
51%
Meat, fish
and other
1%
Cereals
24%
Dairy
and eggs
5%
Sugar
and fat
19%
Cereals Vegetables and
melons
Fruit excluding
melons
Roots and
tubers
North America
Central America
Caribbean
South America
Europe
Africa
Asia
Oceania
North America
Central America
Caribbean*
South America
Europe
Africa
Asia
Oceania*
–200–150–100–5050 0100 1987 2013
1961 2014
0
10
20
30
40
50
20141961
743
903
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
1961 2014
425%
85%
294%
221%
NET EXPORTNET IMPORT
0
100
200
300
400
500
2 7 A P R I L 2 0 1 7 | V O L 5 4 4 | N A T U R E | S 7
FOOD SECURITY OUTLOOK