Key findings on food and nutrition security:

• Food insecurity is a significant concern in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a high prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity in the region.
• The socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in international food prices, and overall inflation rates have worsened the food security situation in LAC.
• The cost of a healthy diet is higher in LAC than in any other region of the world, making it difficult for people to access nutritious food.
• The region has made progress in reducing child stunting, but the prevalence of overweight children and adult obesity is a growing concern, with significant economic costs.
• The double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition and overnutrition coexist, is a challenge in LAC, with part of the region's success in addressing stunting contributing to the rise in overweight children and obese adults.

Recommendations:

• Strengthening well-rounded nutrition policies and programs to address food insecurity and malnutrition, including conditional cash transfers, food subsidies, and food voucher programs.
• Increasing access and affordability to a healthy diet, including refocusing agricultural subsidies and support programs towards the production of nutritious foods.
• Implementing policies to shape the food environment, such as restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods, placing warning labels on foods high in sugar, fat, or salt, and monitoring health and nutrition claims on foods and beverages.
• Encouraging the development of sustainable food systems, including the production of nutritious foods, and supporting small agricultural producers to connect with school feeding programs.