Marybeth Collins
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its 2025 progress assessment on 22 food and agriculture-related
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. These span six core goals: Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15).
The new analysis comes as the world moves past the halfway mark toward the 2030 Agenda, with progress uneven and in several cases reversing since the SDGs were adopted in 2015.
“We need to redouble our efforts to achieve food security, improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture, while ensuring the sustainability of our natural resource base,” said José Rosero Moncayo, FAO Chief Statistician.
Food Insecurity and Nutrition Gaps
- 2.3 billion people – about 28% of the global population – were moderately or severely food insecure in 2024, compared to 1.6 billion (21.4%) in 2015.
- Hunger persists: 8.2% of people may have faced undernourishment in 2024.
- Women’s dietary diversity is lagging: only 65% of women of childbearing age achieved the new Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) benchmark, with sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia among the lowest-performing regions.
These figures highlight a deteriorating trend since 2015, leaving the world “far from target” on food security.
Agricultural Production and Equity
- Small-scale food producers in low- and middle-income countries earn less than half the income of non-small-scale peers, averaging under $1,500 annually (PPP, 2017).
- Women’s land rights remain unequal: in nearly 80% of surveyed countries, less than half of women have secure ownership. Men are often twice as likely to hold land titles.
- While the world is making moderate progress toward sustainable agriculture, structural inequalities continue to limit resilience.
Environmental Pressures
- Food price anomalies remain three times higher than pre-2019 levels due to geopolitical conflicts and weather extremes.
- Water-use efficiency has improved 23% globally between 2015 and 2022, largely tied to economic growth. Yet water stress remains at 18% globally, with severe scarcity in Western Asia and Northern Africa.
- Forests continue to decline, shrinking from 31.9% of land in 2000 to 31.2% in 2020. Agriculture expansion remains the leading driver.
- Fish stocks are under pressure: only 62.5% were biologically sustainable in 2021, down from 90% in 1974, despite new frameworks tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
- Genetic resources show mixed progress: the number of animal breeds in conservation has risen, but just 4.6% of local breeds are stored with enough material to ensure reconstitution if extinct.
Key Takeaway
The 2025 FAO report shows that while data availability has improved to 65% of indicators, progress is stalling on critical food security, biodiversity, and land management goals. With one-quarter of targets on track, one-quarter off track, and the rest at moderate risk, the findings underscore the urgent need for stronger policy alignment, investment in sustainable agriculture, and international cooperation.
