LatAm leads world fight against hunger: FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says Latin America has made the most progress in the fight against huger.

Adorinam Sanches, an official with the FAO, made the remarks during a regional four-day conference in the Mexican capital, Mexico City, on Monday.

He said that although some 34.3 million people still lack access to food in Latin America, 33 countries in the region had managed to reduce the hunger rate from 14.7 percent back in 1990 to 5.5 percent.

“It’s not normal for any citizen to suffer from hunger,” Sanches said, adding that the issue of hunger was currently being discussed “at the highest political level regionally.”

According to FAO, the Caribbean region registers the worst hunger rate, with some 7.5 million people lacking food and proper nutrition.

Sanches also said that 33 member nations of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) had approved a plan in January 2015 to eradicate hunger and boost food security and nutrition.

The plan reportedly aims to meet the goal of creating a Latin America and Caribbean region free of hunger.

The four-day 34th Regional FAO Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean ends on Thursday.

Last month, the United Nations warned that thousands of people were in danger of starvation in Swaziland due to severe drought.