The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026 | The Cost of a Healthy Diet | The Work We Do

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 their 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