Monrovia – The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has pushed back against Liberia’s classification in the 2025 Global Hunger Index (GHI), arguing that the report reflects outdated data and does not capture what it describes as recent gains in food security and nutrition.
By Augustus D.R. Bortue, [email protected]
In a statement reacting to the report, the Ministry acknowledged the GHI as an important global benchmarking tool but maintained that its findings for Liberia are largely based on pre-2025 data, thereby failing to reflect current realities on the ground.
‘Limits of the 2025 GHI Data’
According to the Ministry, the Global Hunger Index Methodology relies on the most recent available data for each indicator. For Liberia, the last nationally representative food security and nutrition assessment before 2025 was conducted in 2022.
As a result, Liberia’s 2025 GHI score is derived from estimated indicators spanning multiple years:
- Undernourishment: 2022–2024
- Child wasting: 2020–2024
- Child stunting: 2024
- Child mortality: 2023
“These figures do not reflect improvements achieved during 2025,” the Ministry said, adding that the report represents past conditions rather than the present food and nutrition security situation.
National Evidence Shows Improvement
The MoA cited findings from the 2025 Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey (CFSNS), which show that national food insecurity declined from 47 percent in 2022 to 20.7 percent in 2025. The Ministry estimates that 33,755 people transitioned to food-secure conditions over the three years.
The data, it said, align with recent Comprehensive Food Security Survey and Cadre Harmonisé/IPC analyses, which indicate overall improvement compared to previous assessment cycles.
Drivers of Progress
The Ministry attributed the gains to sustained government-led and partner-supported interventions, including expansion of land under cultivation, increased use of improved seeds and inputs, strengthened farmer support and extension services and a gradual transition toward mechanized farming,
These efforts, the Ministry said, contributed to a 7 percent increase in rice production between 2023 and 2024, followed by a 38 percent increase in 2025, reaching 378,869 metric tons. Increased production of cassava, vegetables, and other food crops has also improved food availability and dietary diversity.
Improved Access to Food
Beyond production, Liberia has recorded improvements in food access, driven by reduced rice prices, improved road infrastructure enabling year-round access across counties, lower fuel prices, reducing transportation and marketing costs and better movement of food from surplus-producing to deficit areas
“These developments have strengthened both economic and physical access to food,” the Ministry noted.
Government’s Position
While reaffirming its respect for the Global Hunger Index, the Ministry urged caution in applying the 2025 GHI findings to Liberia’s current situation, stressing that national surveys and IPC/Cadre Harmonisé analyses provide more timely and accurate assessments.
It said recent progress reflects targeted investments and policy reforms in agriculture, food systems, and nutrition, and pledged to continue strengthening data systems in collaboration with development partners.
GHI Ranking Remains Grim
Despite the government’s objections, the 2025 Global Hunger Index once again classified Liberia as a country facing “serious” hunger, ranking it 112th out of 123 countries with sufficient data. In 2024, Liberia ranked 120th out of 127, indicating a pattern of slow and uneven progress.
With a score of 30.0, Liberia remains firmly within the GHI’s “serious” hunger category, defined by scores between 20.0 and 34.9.
Hunger Indicators and Structural Challenges
The GHI highlights four key indicators, including undernourishment: 35.5 percent of Liberians lack sufficient caloric intake, child stunting: 26.9 percent of children under five, child wasting: 3.4 percent and child mortality: 7.3 percent die before age five
The report notes that hunger in Liberia is driven by structural challenges, including poverty, reliance on subsistence rain-fed agriculture, weak health systems, limited access to clean water and sanitation, fragmented social protection, and chronic underinvestment in rural infrastructure.
Although Liberia’s GHI score has improved numerically—from 47.7 in 2000 to 30.0 in 2025—the report says progress remains slow and insufficient to significantly alter living conditions for millions.
Policy Pressure on the Boakai-Koung Administration
Analysts say the findings cast renewed pressure on the Boakai-Koung administration, which has prioritized agriculture under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
However, the abrupt closure of USAID, a major development partner, has created a significant funding gap. Among the affected programs is the USAID-supported school feeding initiative, which serves several schools nationwide.
According to data from foreignassistance.gov, the U.S. government spent more than US$14 million on agriculture projects in Liberia in 2024, alongside additional investments in roads, electricity, and other infrastructure critical to food production and distribution.
Expert View
Commenting on Liberia’s hunger challenge, economist Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh warned that hunger fuels a vicious cycle by eroding human capital and undermining economic recovery.
He noted that nearly 80 percent of Liberia’s food is imported, exposing the country to global price shocks and supply chain disruptions. Dr. McIntosh called for increased investment in education and healthcare, alongside the development of labor-intensive industries capable of creating large-scale employment, pointing to tourism as a key opportunity.
