The CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation says recent gains are providing reason for optimism in the fight against global hunger.
Tom Vilsack tells Brownfield, “Last year, I talked about there being 733 million significantly food insecure folks,” he said. “Today, it’s 658 million. So, there has been progress.”
But he says those gains are only part of the story, and significant challenges remain.
“When 25 percent of the world’s population faces a circumstance at some point in time of not having enough to eat, that’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” Vilsack said. “And there are a lot of folks who can’t afford a nutritious meal, a healthy meal.”
Vilsack says some parts of the world could see food insecurity worsen as governments scale back development and food assistance programs.
He spoke to Brownfield at the 2026 Borlaug International Dialogue held recently in Des Moines, Iowa.
