Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has warned that gains against hunger could be reversed by severe weather, rising input costs and disruptions to food production and trade, even as he cited Guyana’s progress in reducing undernourishment.

Speaking on Tuesday at a ministerial dialogue during the UN General Assembly in New York, Singh called for sustained investment and closer coordination across agriculture and food systems to make healthy diets more affordable.

According to a Ministry of Finance release, Singh said Guyana was among the Latin American and Caribbean countries that had reduced the prevalence of hunger and undernourishment to below 2.5%. He congratulated Brazil, Chile and the Dominican Republic on reaching the same milestone.

The minister cautioned, however, that national progress offered no protection from disruptions beyond Guyana’s control.

“Despite some reduction in food insecurity across the globe, progress remains uneven and vulnerable to multiple shocks,” he said. He cited an estimate that 520 million people could still face hunger in 2030, leaving the world off course for the UN goal of ending hunger by that year.

Singh said current El Niño conditions and geopolitical tensions could worsen the outlook. He pointed to increases in wheat, fertiliser and diesel prices, saying these would raise the cost of producing and distributing food. The price comparisons were presented by the minister in his address; the release did not identify the underlying price data.

Turning to Guyana, Singh said the government was investing in agricultural production and exports, transport links to farmland and markets, and a regional food hub with cold-storage facilities. He also cited the use of hydroponics and shade houses, tax measures intended to encourage private investment in agriculture, and farmers’ markets aimed at easing food prices.

School meals and health screenings formed another part of the government’s approach, he said. Singh described the National School Feeding Programme as a means of addressing hunger among children and pointed to screening programmes for nursery, primary and secondary school pupils.

The minister also repeated the government’s claim that 156,000 jobs had been created over the past five years, arguing that higher household incomes would help families meet their nutritional needs.

“These and other measures have helped to keep the incidence of hunger, undernourishment, and child malnutrition low over the last five years,” he said.

Singh said Guyana would continue pursuing increased agricultural output and more efficient regional food trade under President Irfaan Ali’s CARICOM “25 by 2025 plus five” initiative. He argued that reducing the region’s food import bill would make its food supply more secure over the long term.