A study published in The Lancet analyzed trends in underweight and obesity among adults (20 years and older), school-aged children, and adolescents (5-19 years) in 200 countries and regions from 1990 to 2022. The study used body mass index (BMI) to classify underweight as a BMI below 18.5 kg/m² and overweight as a BMI above 30 kg/m² for adults. For school-aged children and adolescents, underweight was defined as a BMI less than twice the standard deviation and overweight as a BMI greater than 30 kg/m². Obesity was defined as a BMI greater than twice the standard deviation.

The CGIAR is an international organization established in 1971 to improve productivity and technology development in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in developing countries, and has been a leader in innovation in the field of international agricultural research. A paper published in World Development found that the adoption of crop technologies developed by the CGIAR had a significant impact on poverty reduction in low-income countries, with annual economic benefits worth $47 billion.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's weather information agency, announced that global temperatures in February 2024 were the highest on record, and sea surface temperatures were also the hottest on record.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released on March 8 the World Food Price Index for February 2024, averaging 117.3 points, down 0.9 points (0.7%) from the previous month, reflecting lower cereal and vegetable oil prices, which offset higher sugar, meat, and dairy product prices. The price index was 13.8 points (10.5%) lower than a year earlier.

The world is facing a triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The pace of global natural resource consumption is accelerating, making it increasingly difficult to achieve the SDGs.On March 1, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its "Global Resource Outlook 2024", calling for a change in direction toward a sustainable environment and society.

The Cerrado is a savannah on the Brazilian plateau and one of the world's breadbasket regions, but deforestation has continued as agricultural land has expanded. The report highlights the need for an approach that balances sustainable food production with conservation of the region's natural riches.

Despite the globalization of food, the world's food system remains vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disasters, political crises, infectious diseases, and other emergencies. Today's post focuses on a systematic review on food system resilience (FSR) published in Global Food Security.

Today's post highlights an article from Nature Food (McCullough et al. 2024) that sheds light on the complex relationship between rising incomes, falling food prices, and nutrition, particularly in the context of Africa.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that the El Niño event, which has been pushing global temperatures to record levels since mid-2023, has a 79% chance of weakening and returning to normal around April, and a 55% chance of transitioning to La Niña in the Pacific Ocean between June and August.