About this episode

The episode discusses the findings of SOFI 2026, focusing on the rising cost of healthy diets and the factors affecting food security globally.

In this special episode, Chief Economist Maximo Torero and David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, unpack the key findings of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026. Global hunger has declined for the third consecutive year, but progress remains uneven across regions and is fragile. Meanwhile, a healthy diet is 25% more expensive than it was five years ago, and one third of the world's population cannot afford it. The episode examines the structural factors driving the cost of healthy diets in different regions and how compound risks can affect the ir cost. It discusses how social protection, including school feeding programs, and investments in agrifood systems and trade can help make nutritious foods more accessible for everyone. SOFI 2026: Understanding and Addressing the High Cost of a Healthy Diet Transcript: https://www.fao.org/media/docs/aboutfaolibraries/transcripts/sofi-2026-transcript_260721.pdf 00:00 Intro 01:05 Key statistics 03:15 The cost of healthy diets 06:45 Regional differences 09:10 The role of trade and region-specific interventions 11:05 Quinoa example 12:16 Africa's progress and challenges 20:22…

People in this episode

Guests: Maximo Torero, David Laborde

Topics covered

• food security
• nutrition
• healthy diet
• global hunger
• agrifood systems
• social protection

Keywords

• food security
• nutrition
• healthy diet
• global hunger
• agrifood systems
• social protection
• regional differences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FAO

Books & works: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026

More episodes of FAO Podcasts

• The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2026 | SOCO Special Episode | The Work We Do · July 9, 2026 · 27 min
• Can Social Protection Prevent the Next Food Crisis? | Hormuz Crisis 2026 | The Work We Do · June 25, 2026 · 42 min
• The Work We Do – Ep 7. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture | Manuel Barange · June 17, 2026 · 54 min
• The Work We Do – Food Safety and Codex Alimentarius. Sarah Cahill · June 5, 2026 · 45 min
• The Work We Do – Ep 5. Nutrition, agriculture, and the fight for healthy diets. Lynnette Neufeld · May 28, 2026 · 55 min
• Policy Recommendations to Prevent a Global Food Crisis | Hormuz Crisis 2026 | The Work We Do · May 20, 2026 · 42 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the FAO Podcasts podcast page.