Discussion on the Key Findings of FAO’s 2019 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report

FAO’s 2019 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report highlights that global food insecurity and malnutrition, including obesity, persist and remain stubbornly high with approximately 820 million people continuing to suffer from hunger and nearly 2 billion people experiencing some form of malnutrition.

According to the report, which offers a significant update on the shifting global milieu that is affecting people’s food security and nutrition, economic slowdowns and downturns are among the key drivers of this worsening trend. The uneven pace of economic recovery and continuing poor economic performance in many countries after the 2008–2009 global economic downturn, are also undermining efforts to end hunger and malnutrition.

Please join us for a presentation of the report, keynote address and panel discussion on the key findings of the 2019 SOFI report.

Special Remarks

• Congressman Jim McGovern, 2nd District of Massachusetts and Co-Chair of the House Hunger Caucus
• Senator John Boozman, Senior US Senator of Arkansas and Co-Chair of the Senate Hunger Caucus (Invited)

Welcome Remarks

• Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI 
• Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO’s Liaison Office for North America

Keynote Speaker

• Robert Johansson, Chief Economist, US Department of Agriculture

Presentation of Report’s Key Findings

• Máximo Torero, Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Development Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Panelist

• Kimberly Ann Elliott, Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Global Development
• John McArthur, Senior Fellow – Global Economy and Development, The Brookings Institution

Moderator

• Rajul Pandya-Lorch, Director, Communications and Public Affairs, IFPRI