World Food Prize Foundation CEO Tom Vilsack: The fight against hunger is not over

World Food Prize Foundation CEO Tom Vilsack made evaluations regarding the current state of the fight against global hunger at the 2026 Borlaug Dialogue held in Des Moines, Iowa. Vilsack reported that while a decline has been recorded in the number of people experiencing food insecurity, serious challenges persist on a global scale.

World Food Prize Foundation CEO Tom Vilsack stated in remarks to Brownfield that partial progress has been achieved in the fight against global hunger. Recalling that the number of people experiencing severe food insecurity last year was 733 million, Vilsack noted that this figure has currently dropped to 658 million.

At the same time, Vilsack pointed out that the gains do not reflect the entire picture, emphasizing that 25 percent of the world's population cannot access sufficient food at certain times. The foundation executive drew attention to the fact that many people cannot afford a nutritious and healthy meal. He also warned that if governments reduce development and food aid programs, food insecurity could worsen further in some regions.