Today, 2.69 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. That fact should prompt us to rethink how we define progress. Hunger metrics tell us whether people have enough calories to survive; they do not tell us whether children have the nutrients they need to grow, learn, and reach their full potential.
The global average cost of a healthy diet reached USD 4.28 per person per day in 2025, around 40 percent higher than the international extreme poverty line. For millions of families, this means a healthy diet is financially out of reach before conflict, climate shocks, or economic crises even enter the equation.
What transformation requires
Progress should be measured by whether every child can eat a healthy diet every day. Achieving this requires food systems that prioritise children: investing in diversified, climate-resilient agriculture, strengthening local markets, and ensuring healthy foods are affordable and accessible. It also requires social protection measures, such as Home-Grown School Feeding and cash transfers, that help families protect children’s diets during times of crisis.
The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty has a unique opportunity to accelerate this shift. But success cannot be measured by calories, tonnes of food produced, or the number of people reached alone. It must be judged by whether children can access the diverse, nutritious diets they need to grow and thrive.
Photo: World Vision