Misc
Mapped: The 3 Billion People Who Can’t Afford a Healthy Diet
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The 3 Billion People Who Can’t Afford a Healthy Diet
While they aren’t often the focus of news media, hunger and undernourishment are problems plaguing millions of people every day.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 3 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, an additional 112 million more people than in 2019. The increase was partly because of rising food prices, with the average cost of a healthy diet rising by 3.3% from 2019 levels.
As of August 2022, the FAO food price index was up 40.6% from average 2020 levels. Unless income levels increased by a similar magnitude, the healthy diet crisis is likely to have worsened, especially in low-income countries experiencing rampant food inflation.
Using data from the FAO, the above infographic maps the share of people unable to afford a healthy diet in 138 different countries as of 2020 (latest available data).
The Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet
According to the FAO, a healthy diet is one that meets daily energy needs as well as requirements within the food and dietary guidelines created by the country.
The (un)affordability is measured by comparing the cost of a healthy diet to income levels in the country. If the cost exceeds 52% of an average household’s income, the diet is deemed unaffordable.
Here’s a look at the share of populations unable to afford a healthy diet, and the cost of such a diet around the world:
Country | Percent of population unable to afford a healthy diet | Cost of Healthy Diet (USD per Person per Day) |
---|---|---|
Burundi 🇧🇮 | 97.2% | $2.9 |
Madagascar 🇲🇬 | 97.0% | $3.2 |
Liberia 🇱🇷 | 96.8% | $3.9 |
Malawi 🇲🇼 | 96.6% | $3.1 |
Nigeria 🇳🇬 | 95.9% | $4.1 |
Central African Republic 🇨🇫 | 95.1% | $3.6 |
Guinea 🇬🇳 | 94.9% | $4.1 |
Angola 🇦🇴 | 94.3% | $4.5 |
Congo 🇨🇬 | 92.4% | $3.4 |
Sudan 🇸🇩 | 91.8% | $4.3 |
Mozambique 🇲🇿 | 91.5% | $3.2 |
Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩 | 90.0% | $2.1 |
Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 | 89.2% | $2.9 |
Niger 🇳🇪 | 88.8% | $2.9 |
Zambia 🇿🇲 | 88.0% | $3.3 |
Tanzania 🇹🇿 | 87.6% | $2.7 |
Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼 | 87.2% | $3.5 |
Ethiopia 🇪🇹 | 86.8% | $3.4 |
Rwanda 🇷🇼 | 86.3% | $2.7 |
Haiti 🇭🇹 | 85.9% | $4.5 |
Sao Tome and Principe 🇸🇹 | 84.7% | $3.6 |
Nepal 🇳🇵 | 84.0% | $4.4 |
Lesotho 🇱🇸 | 83.5% | $4.3 |
Pakistan 🇵🇰 | 83.5% | $3.7 |
Chad 🇹🇩 | 83.4% | $2.8 |
Benin 🇧🇯 | 82.9% | $3.7 |
Uganda 🇺🇬 | 82.2% | $2.7 |
Kenya 🇰🇪 | 81.1% | $3.0 |
Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 | 80.1% | $3.3 |
Laos 🇱🇦 | 79.8% | $4.1 |
Mali 🇲🇱 | 74.3% | $3.1 |
Bangladesh 🇧🇩 | 73.5% | $3.1 |
Egypt 🇪🇬 | 72.9% | $3.4 |
Eswatini 🇸🇿 | 71.8% | $3.4 |
India 🇮🇳 | 70.5% | $3.0 |
Indonesia 🇮🇩 | 69.1% | $4.5 |
Philippines 🇵🇭 | 68.6% | $4.1 |
Jamaica 🇯🇲 | 66.2% | $6.7 |
South Africa 🇿🇦 | 65.2% | $4.3 |
Myanmar 🇲🇲 | 65.1% | $4.2 |
Gambia 🇬🇲 | 64.0% | $3.1 |
Djibouti 🇩🇯 | 63.9% | $3.1 |
Botswana 🇧🇼 | 61.4% | $3.7 |
Ghana 🇬🇭 | 61.2% | $4.0 |
Cameroon 🇨🇲 | 60.7% | $2.8 |
Mauritania 🇲🇷 | 60.7% | $3.7 |
Fiji 🇫🇯 | 60.4% | $3.9 |
Suriname 🇸🇷 | 58.8% | $5.7 |
Namibia 🇳🇦 | 56.8% | $3.5 |
Bhutan 🇧🇹 | 53.0% | $5.0 |
Mongolia 🇲🇳 | 51.4% | $5.1 |
Honduras 🇭🇳 | 51.3% | $3.5 |
Iraq 🇮🇶 | 49.6% | $3.5 |
Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 | 49.6% | $3.2 |
Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 | 49.0% | $3.9 |
Senegal 🇸🇳 | 46.0% | $2.3 |
Guyana 🇬🇾 | 43.0% | $4.9 |
Armenia 🇦🇲 | 42.9% | $3.2 |
Tajikistan 🇹🇯 | 42.1% | $3.5 |
Cabo Verde 🇨🇻 | 38.1% | $3.6 |
Belize 🇧🇿 | 36.4% | $2.1 |
Gabon 🇬🇦 | 36.3% | $3.6 |
Nicaragua 🇳🇮 | 35.7% | $3.3 |
Algeria 🇩🇿 | 30.2% | $3.8 |
Vietnam 🇻🇳 | 30.0% | $4.1 |
Colombia 🇨🇴 | 26.5% | $3.1 |
Mexico 🇲🇽 | 26.3% | $3.3 |
Bolivia 🇧🇴 | 24.7% | $3.8 |
Palestine 🇵🇸 | 23.1% | $3.4 |
Ecuador 🇪🇨 | 21.4% | $2.9 |
Saint Lucia 🇱🇨 | 20.6% | $3.6 |
Peru 🇵🇪 | 20.5% | $3.3 |
Iran 🇮🇷 | 20.3% | $3.6 |
Tunisia 🇹🇳 | 20.3% | $3.6 |
Albania 🇦🇱 | 20.1% | $4.2 |
Brazil 🇧🇷 | 19.0% | $3.1 |
Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 | 18.3% | $3.9 |
Panama 🇵🇦 | 18.2% | $4.5 |
North Macedonia 🇲🇰 | 18.0% | $3.4 |
Paraguay 🇵🇾 | 17.8% | $3.5 |
Montenegro 🇲🇪 | 17.5% | $3.5 |
Thailand 🇹🇭 | 17.0% | $4.3 |
Costa Rica 🇨🇷 | 16.8% | $4.1 |
Morocco 🇲🇦 | 16.7% | $2.8 |
Serbia 🇷🇸 | 16.3% | $4.2 |
Jordan 🇯🇴 | 14.9% | $3.6 |
Mauritius 🇲🇺 | 13.5% | $3.6 |
China 🇨🇳 | 12.0% | $3.0 |
Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹 | 11.6% | $4.2 |
Romania 🇷🇴 | 8.8% | $3.2 |
Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | 8.5% | $4.1 |
Seychelles 🇸🇨 | 6.8% | $3.8 |
Moldova 🇲🇩 | 6.7% | $2.8 |
Chile 🇨🇱 | 3.8% | $3.4 |
Croatia 🇭🇷 | 3.8% | $4.3 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 | 3.7% | $4.0 |
Uruguay 🇺🇾 | 3.6% | $3.4 |
Russia 🇷🇺 | 3.5% | $3.4 |
Greece 🇬🇷 | 3.2% | $3.1 |
Italy 🇮🇹 | 2.9% | $3.1 |
Japan 🇯🇵 | 2.5% | $5.8 |
Hungary 🇭🇺 | 2.0% | $3.5 |
Spain 🇪🇸 | 2.0% | $2.8 |
Malaysia 🇲🇾 | 1.9% | $3.5 |
Latvia 🇱🇻 | 1.8% | $3.2 |
South Korea 🇰🇷 | 1.7% | $5.2 |
United States 🇺🇸 | 1.5% | $3.4 |
Maldives 🇲🇻 | 1.4% | $3.9 |
Estonia 🇪🇪 | 1.3% | $3.3 |
Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 | 1.2% | $2.7 |
Lithuania 🇱🇹 | 1.2% | $3.1 |
Slovakia 🇸🇰 | 1.2% | $3.2 |
Israel 🇮🇱 | 1.0% | $2.5 |
Poland 🇵🇱 | 1.0% | $3.2 |
Austria 🇦🇹 | 0.8% | $3.0 |
Australia 🇦🇺 | 0.7% | $2.6 |
Canada 🇨🇦 | 0.7% | $3.0 |
Malta 🇲🇹 | 0.7% | $3.8 |
Sweden 🇸🇪 | 0.6% | $3.3 |
Portugal 🇵🇹 | 0.5% | $2.7 |
United Kingdom 🇬🇧 | 0.5% | $1.9 |
Denmark 🇩🇰 | 0.4% | $2.5 |
Norway 🇳🇴 | 0.4% | $3.5 |
Cyprus 🇨🇾 | 0.3% | $3.0 |
Belarus 🇧🇾 | 0.2% | $3.3 |
Belgium 🇧🇪 | 0.2% | $3.1 |
Czechia | 0.2% | $3.0 |
Germany 🇩🇪 | 0.2% | $3.0 |
Netherlands 🇳🇱 | 0.2% | $3.0 |
Finland 🇫🇮 | 0.1% | $2.7 |
France 🇫🇷 | 0.1% | $3.2 |
Ireland 🇮🇪 | 0.1% | $2.2 |
Luxembourg 🇱🇺 | 0.1% | $2.7 |
Slovenia 🇸🇮 | 0.1% | $3.1 |
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 | 0.0% | $2.5 |
Iceland 🇮🇸 | 0.0% | $2.4 |
Switzerland 🇨🇭 | 0.0% | $2.7 |
United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪 | 0.0% | $3.1 |
World 🌎 | 42.0% | $3.5 |
In 52 countries, more than half of the population cannot afford a healthy diet. The majority of these are in Africa, with the rest located across Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.
By contrast, in four countries—Azerbaijan, Iceland, Switzerland, and the UAE—everyone is able to afford a healthy diet. The picture is similar for most European and developed high-income countries, where more than 95% of the population can afford a healthy diet.
When the percentages are translated into numbers, Asia contains the most number of people unable to afford a healthy diet at 1.89 billion, of which 973 million people are in India alone. Another 1 billion people are in Africa, with around 151 million people in the Americas and Oceania.
While hunger is a worldwide concern, it is particularly acute in African countries, which cover all of the top 20 spots in the above table.
Africa’s Deepening Food Crisis
In many countries across sub-Saharan Africa, more than 90% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet.
Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible to extreme climate events and the resulting volatility in food prices. Roughly one-third of the world’s droughts occur in the region, and some sub-Saharan countries are also heavily reliant on imports for food.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has deepened the crisis, with many African countries importing over 50% of their wheat from the two countries in conflict. The rising food prices from this supply chain disruption have resulted in double-digit food inflation in many African nations, which means that more people are likely to be unable to afford healthy diets.
The Horn of Africa region at the Eastern tip of Africa is particularly in turmoil. All the countries in the region are reliant on wheat from Russia and Ukraine, with Eritrea (100%) and Somalia (>90%) high up in the import dependency chart. Additionally, the region is facing its worst drought in 40 years alongside ongoing political conflicts. As a result, 22 million people are at risk of starvation.
Population Growth and Food Insecurity
In November of 2022, the global population is projected to surpass 8 billion people, and many of the fastest growing countries are also food-insecure.
By 2050, the global population is likely to increase by 35%, and to meet the growing demand for food, crop production will need to double. Given that agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, this increase in crop production will also need to be environmentally sustainable.
As the impacts of climate change intensify and food demand increases, reducing food waste, building climate-resilient agricultural infrastructure, and improving agricultural productivity will all play a key role in reducing the levels of food insecurity sustainably.
Misc
The State of Copper Recycling in the U.S.
This graphic explores how recycling copper can help address the demand for the metal in the U.S.
The State of Copper Recycling in the U.S.
Copper is essential for a low-carbon economy due to its crucial role in renewable energy technologies.
As a result, many worry that a lack of the metal used in wires and batteries can hurt a transition to a green economy.
In this graphic, our sponsor, the Copper Development Association, explores how recycling can address the demand for copper.
Copper Scrap Recycled in the U.S.
In 2022, the total copper scrap recycled in the U.S. was approximately 830,000 tonnes, equivalent to 32% of the total U.S. copper supply for the same period. Around 670,000 tonnes (81%) originated from pre-consumer sources generated during manufacturing operations, while 160,000 tonnes (19%) came from post-consumer sources, such as obsolete products.
Brass and wire-rod mills accounted for the majority of the copper recycled from scrap (85%). Additionally, smelters, refiners, and ingot makers make 10% and chemical plants, foundries, and other manufacturers around 5%.
Copper from Scrap | 2022 Content (tonnes) |
---|---|
Brass and wire-rod mills | 650,000 t |
Smelters and refiners | 40,000 t |
Ingot makers | 39,500 t |
Foundries, Other | 40,000 t |
Despite the rising demand for copper, the U.S. predominantly exports its copper scrap.
In 2022, the U.S. exported half of the 1,569,000 tonnes of the copper content generated from scrap. This export trend persisted because, until recent years, the country lacked operating secondary copper smelters capable of processing complex scrap grades into furnace-ready raw materials.
However, reshoring this metal presents an opportunity for the country.
Tapping into the Urban Mine
North America currently has about 86 million tonnes (Mt) of copper in use, known as the Urban Mine. This copper will become available for recycling as aging infrastructure and products reach the end of their service lives:
- Buildings: 45.4 Mt
- Infrastructure: 16.1 Mt
- Consumer Products: 11.2 Mt
- Transport: 8.5 Mt
- Industrial Uses: 4.8 Mt
Increased secondary smelting and refining capacity is a crucial building block for a more resilient and self-sufficient U.S. copper supply chain.
In response to the growing need for copper, the U.S. plans to add over 280,000 tonnes of secondary smelting and refining capacity in the next few years. This expansion will enable the country to process more complex scrap grades domestically.
Given that copper products can last for decades, creating a lag time before the material becomes available for recycling, primary production will continue to play an important role in meeting the increasing needs in the U.S.
The Copper Development Association (CDA) brings the value of copper and its alloys to society to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. Visit www.copper.org to learn more about why copper is a critical mineral.
Misc
Why Copper Is Critical for Data Centers
Copper consumption for data centers in North America is estimated to jump from 197,000 tonnes in 2020 to 238,000 tonnes in 2030.
Why Copper Is Critical for Data Centers
Data centers are computer server hubs that collect, store, and process large amounts of data, requiring extensive network infrastructure and electric power supply.
As the North American data center market grows, copper will be a key building block in this infrastructure.
This infographic from the Copper Development Association illustrates the critical role of copper in data center development.
Copper in Technology
Much has been said about the growing demand for critical minerals like copper, nickel, and lithium for clean technologies such as batteries, EVs, solar, and wind power.
Copper, however, has a more extensive role in technology as it is used in wires that connect power grids and data centers around the planet.
As one of the best conductors of electricity, copper maximizes efficiency in the transmission and distribution of electricity. Its thermal conductivity also helps build efficient heat exchangers, which are vital for cooling in data centers.
The inherent ductility and malleability of copper make it ideal for shaping into compact system components, like electrical connectors. In addition, copper can be fully recycled without losing any beneficial properties, providing an excellent solution in a growing green economy.
Data centers use copper across various electrical applications, including:
- Power cables
- Busbars
- Electrical connectors
- Heat exchangers and sinks
- Power distribution strips
To put the demand into perspective, Microsoft’s $500 million data center in Chicago required 2,177 tonnes of copper for construction.
North America’s Growing Need for Copper
With the rise of cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), the North American data center market is expanding.
North American data center infrastructure is expected to grow from a $33 billion business in 2020 to $70 billion in 2030 and $185 billion in 2040.
This, in turn, will amplify the demand for copper. Copper consumption for data centers is estimated to jump from 197,000 tonnes in 2020 to 238,000 tonnes in 2030 and 293,000 tonnes in 2040.
The Copper Development Association (CDA) brings the value of copper and its alloys to society to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. Visit www.copper.org to learn more about copper’s critical role in data centers.
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