Climate variability and extreme weather events (such as droughts, floods, and storms) are reducing agricultural productivity, disrupting food supply chains, increasing prices, impacting food environments, and threatening progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition in the region.
27 of January 2025, Santiago de Chile –Changing patterns of climate variability and extreme weather events are negatively affecting all dimensions of food security and exacerbating other underlying causes of malnutrition in all its forms in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the 2024 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition. The report, published today, states that Latin America and the Caribbean is the second-most exposed region in the world to extreme weather events, following Asia.
In this region, at least 20 countries (74 percent of analyzed countries) face a high frequency of such events, indicating significant exposure, and 14 (52 percent) are considered vulnerable, as they are more likely to experience increased undernourishment due to these phenomena. The impact of extreme weather events is further worsened by persistent structural challenges, including conflicts, economic slowdowns, crises, and underlying factors such as high levels of inequality, lack of access to affordable healthy diets, and unhealthy food environments.
According to the report, between 2019 and 2023, the prevalence of undernourishment increased by 1.5 percentage points in countries affected by climate variability and extremes. The situation is worse in countries experiencing economic recessions. The most vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, as they have fewer resources to adapt.
The report underscores the urgent need to accelerate action to build resilience within agrifood systems, which are critical for the region’s progress toward eradicating hunger and malnutrition in all its forms. The report emphasizes that ensuring the long-term sustainability of agrifood systems is essential.
Hunger and Food Insecurity Declined for the Second Consecutive Year
According to the report, hunger affected 41 million people in the region in 2023. This represents a decrease of 2.9 million people compared to 2022 and 4.3 million compared to 2021. However, despite regional progress, disparities persist among subregions. Hunger prevalence has increased over the last two years in the Caribbean, reaching 17.2 percent, while it has remained relatively stable in Mesoamerica, at 5.8 percent.
Regarding moderate or severe food insecurity, the region also showed progress for the second consecutive year, falling below the world average for the first time in 10 years. A total of 187.6 million people in the region experienced food insecurity, 19.7 million fewer than in 2022 and 37.3 million fewer than in 2021.
This reduction is attributed to the economic recovery of several South American countries, driven by social