Access To Food Grossly Unequal: WFP Report

• 22 Oct 2020

• “The Cost of a Plate of Food-2020” released by United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP),Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2020, found in its study that access to food is grossly unequal throughout the world.
• The report highlights the countries where a simple meal costs the most, when compared with people’s incomes.
• South Sudan is once again top of the list, with basic ingredients costing a staggering 186 percent of a person’s daily income.
• Seventeen of the top 20 countries featured in the index are in sub-Saharan Africa.

What is the major contributor of Hunger in many countries?

• The report highlights conflict as a central driver for hunger in many countries, as it forced people from their homes, land and jobs, drastically reducing incomes and the availability of affordable food.

A Gloomy Scenario

• The WFP estimates that the lives and livelihoods of up to 270 million people will be under severe threat in 2020, unless immediate action is taken to tackle the pandemic.

The Report on India

• On an average, an Indian spends 3.5% of his/ her daily income for a plate of food as compared to 0.6% by an Individual from New York, United States (US).
• The report has ranked 36 countries where India stood at 28th position.