Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
48.4% was the proportion of staple foods available in 2022, while those of animal origin and fats rose to 15.1% and 12.7%, respectively (FAO, 2024).
41.7% was the proportion of calories from staple foods in 2021, compared to 57.9% in 1961 (FAO, 2024).
Between 80% and 90% of forest-related businesses in the majority of developing countries are small and locally operated, with small-scale enterprises accounting for over half of all employment in the forest sector (Sarmiento, 2025).
51% of global investment in research and development corresponds to North America and Europe, while Asia represents 39%, leaving only the remaining 10% for other regions including Latin America, according to UNESCO data (2021) (Velásquez, A., 2025).
Approximately 12,000 years have passed since, after the last ice age, major human migrations began to develop domestication techniques and artificial selection to adapt wild plants and animals to productive agricultural conditions (Velásquez, A., 2025).
500% has increased agricultural productivity in the last seven decades thanks to the incorporation of scientists and technologists from various areas, from genetics to irrigation, fertilization, mechanization, and recently robotics, digitalization, and biotechnology (Velásquez, A., 2025).
25% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the agricultural sector, creating pressure to adopt sustainable practices and regulations that govern production and international trade according to sustainability standards (Velásquez, A., 2025).
5,000 years of artificial selection have been necessary to develop the main variants of food crops we know today, highlighting the patient work of generations of farmers to adapt plants to specific conditions (Velásquez, A., 2025).
41 million people were affected by undernourishment in 2023 (FAO et al., 2025).
28.9% of the world's population faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023, while severe food insecurity was estimated at 10.7% (FAO et al., 2025).
