Peru faced the highest hunger index in the last decade in 2022, reaching 19.6 points, with 17.7 points in 2021, according to the Alliance2015 network, which includes Ayuda en Acción Foundation, Cesvi Fondazione Onlus, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, Acted, People In Need, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The group presented the Global Hunger Index 2022 (GHI) findings, noting that inflationary pressures and a slowing economy in 2022 disrupted food access and affordability. Urban areas in Peru showed a sharper deterioration in hunger than rural areas, which remained comparatively less severe.
The Alliance2015 data, based on figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), highlight that more than 16 million Peruvians suffer from malnutrition, placing Peru among the most food-insecure countries in South America.
By the end of 2022, 13 departments were classified on the moderate hunger scale. Ten other departments, primarily in the central and southern mountainous regions and the northern forests, were also identified as facing a serious hunger situation. Only the coastal areas of Ica and Lambayeque maintained a low hunger status due to strong agricultural exports and growing agro-industrial production.
Kaspar Schmidt, director of Helvetas Peru, reflected that between 2010 and 2019 many departments achieved meaningful reductions in hunger. Yet, he warned that the social, economic, and institutional challenges of recent years have reversed much of that progress. By late 2022, several ministries lost more than a decade of advances against hunger in regions such as Madre de Dios, Tacna, Moquegua, Tumbes, Lima, Callao, Junín, Ucayali, and Apurímac.
2023 predictions
Forecasts for late 2023, considering various economic scenarios, suggested that the current crisis could push hunger levels to the worst figures observed since 2010 within the period under review. The network outlined mild, moderate, and severe impact scenarios for the Intergovernmental Hunger Gauge, noting that under all outcomes the hunger level in Peru would remain historically high.
Susanna Daag, the Peru and Bolivia representative for Welthungerhilfe, stressed that the state faces large, interlinked challenges. She called for a combination of short-, medium-, and long-term policies and underscored the essential role of collaboration among private sector actors, civil society, individuals, academia, and international cooperation in supporting social welfare action.
Daag also urged young people to engage in governance and to participate in shaping food systems. Participation involves advancing social justice, promoting gender equality, safeguarding everyone’s right to food and food sovereignty, addressing climate change, and incorporating diverse perspectives into policy. She emphasized that education, training, and capacity-building in agriculture and related food system activities are critical for broader youth involvement.