Nutrition and food security

The European Union is at the forefront of global efforts to promote good nutrition, healthy diets, and food security, recognising that every child has the right to proper nutrition. The EU's country-driven, locally adapted, multi-sectoral, and rights-based approach is making tangible improvements in the lives of women and children across partner countries. 

By supporting the inclusive and sustainable transformation of food systems, and by strengthening universal health, education, and social protection services, the EU aims to ensure that people can access healthy diets and maximise the impact of nutrition.

The EU’s Action Plan on Nutrition outlines its commitment to reducing stunting in children under five by at least 10% (7 million children) by 2025, as part of the World Health Assembly goal. This plan focuses on three strategic objectives:

1. Governance: improving the management and coordination of nutrition policies.
2. Scaling up proven interventions: expanding actions that have been shown to deliver improved nutrition outcomes.
3. Research and evidence strengthening: continuously enhancing the knowledge base on effective nutrition strategies.

Since its launch in 2021, the EU’s Global Gateway strategy has promoted investments in key infrastructure, health and education, reinforcing thus foundations for healthy diets, improved nutrition, and greater resilience and self-reliance among communities. Progress reports confirm that the number of countries supported by the EU to improve nutrition continues to rise. Data from 40 baseline countries that have prioritised nutrition in their cooperation with the EU since 2014 show a notable decline in child stunting, with an average reduction of around 7 percentage points.

Despite these efforts, the global nutrition landscape remains challenging. The most recent data indicates that up to 757 million people faced hunger in 2023, while 2.3 billion suffered from food insecurity. Three-quarters of those living in low and lower-middle-income countries are unable to afford a healthy diet. Moreover, malnutrition, a manifestation and driver of poverty and inequalities, continues to impede global development. With 148 million children stunted (they are too short for their age) and 45 million wasted (their weight is too low for their height), the urgency for action is clear—especially in Africa and South Asia, which account for the majority of these cases.

The global rise in unhealthy diets high in fats, sugar, salt, and ultra-processed foods is driving a surge in obesity and related health issues. Currently, 2.5 billion adults are overweight or obese, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. At least 2 out of 3 people globally are lacking essential nutrients, and without changes, the number of obese individuals is projected to increase by 70% by 2050.

What is more, nutrition challenges are amplified by socio-economic instability, conflicts, climate change, and ecological crises. National debt levels and shrinking fiscal spaces limit countries' ability to address nutrition and food security effectively, especially with the urgency of investments in climate resilience.

In response, the EU is actively fostering a holistic approach to nutrition security. Its efforts include driving food systems transformation to be more inclusive and sustainable, promoting access to healthy diets, and ensuring that essential services such as health, education, and social protection support improved nutrition outcomes.