Bridging Nutrition and Faith: Ensuring halal food access, one plate at a time

This article is produced and sponsored by IFANCA. It was first published in the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2024/25 report produced by DinarStandard. The report can be downloaded from here.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defines food insecurity as the lack of regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth, development, and an active, healthy life. Based on this definition, the FAO estimates that in 2023, nearly 733 million people worldwide were impacted by hunger, approximately one in every eleven individuals globally and one in five across the African continent. 

Food insecurity is a silent pandemic that doesn't differentiate
It would be normal to associate food insecurity and hunger with third-world and developing countries. However, what's often considered normal is not always backed by the truth. Food insecurity remains a significant issue in the United States, affecting millions of households, including those with children. According to the 'Household Food Security in the United States in 2023' report by the US Department of Agriculture, approximately 13.5% of households experienced food insecurity. This comes out to around 47.4 million people, including 14 million children. The Map the Meal Report 2024 goes so far as to say that children are more likely than adults to suffer from food insecurity, resulting in poor health and long-term behavioral outcomes.