The cost of a healthy diet has risen by 25% over the past five years, making it unaffordable for one third of the world's population.
According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the 15th, rising food costs mean that the daily per capita cost of maintaining a healthy diet (in purchasing power parity terms) has reached $4.28 USD (about 17.43 ringgit).
FAO Chief Economist Cullen said at a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York: "As a result, 2.69 billion people, nearly one third of the global population, still cannot afford a healthy diet."
The full version of the report will be released on July 21 at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
According to the report, the makeup of the various costs is not balanced: For example, staple foods such as beans and grains make up only 13% of the cost of a healthy diet, while animal-based foods account for nearly 30%, and fruits and vegetables account for 16%.
Cullen said: "Therefore, the challenge is not producing enough calories, but making nutritious foods more affordable."
He believes governments should adjust their subsidy policies, channeling more funds towards nutritious foods rather than grains such as rice and wheat.
He also suggested that investing in national infrastructure and logistics would significantly reduce costs, as "70% to 75% of the cost of a healthy diet is incurred after food leaves the farm."
Cullen pointed out that the region with the highest cost of a healthy diet globally is Latin America, particularly the Caribbean. This may be because the region focuses on food exports and fails to produce enough food to lower local prices.