URBANA, ILLINOIS – The United Nations recently released its State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report, which, perhaps surprisingly, delivered some encouraging news. While roughly 645 million people experienced hunger in 2025, that was nearly 14 million fewer than in the previous year. For the first time in a decade, the number of hungry people in Africa also declined.
But despite these positive developments, significant regional disparities persist. Most notably, the report finds that food insecurity remains more prevalent in rural communities and disproportionately affects women. The key question facing governments and development organizations, then, is how to improve food security in those communities and accelerate progress toward eliminating hunger.
Four priorities stand out. First, enhancing food security in rural communities requires boosting agricultural productivity on existing farmland in ways that are sustainable and minimize environmental impacts. As growing populations place increasing demands on agricultural systems, simply expanding farmland risks accelerating deforestation and environmental degradation.
Producing more on existing farmland is thus essential to meet rising demand without further damaging natural ecosystems.
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