In Latin America and the Caribbean, the prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity, overweight in children under five, and obesity in adults is higher than global averages. Furthermore, the region has the most expensive healthy diet compared to other regions of the world. Diet quality is a fundamental link between food security and nutrition, as a poor-quality diet can lead to different forms of malnutrition, such as undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity. To achieve SDG 2, everyone must have access to a healthy diet. However, updated estimates indicate that a healthy diet is unaffordable for 131 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet reflect the population's economic access to a diet that allows them to meet the nutritional requirements established by food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) for an active and healthy life. (FAO, 2022)

According to the Nutritional Institute of Central America and Panama (INCAP) and based on the Central American Presidential Summits (SICA, 2002), Food and Nutritional Security "is a state in which all people enjoy, in a timely and permanent manner, physical, economic, and social access to the food they need, in sufficient quantity and quality, for their adequate consumption and biological utilization, guaranteeing them a state of general well-being that contributes to the achievement of their development." PAHO, 2010

Latin America and the Caribbean face a complex scenario with high and rising food inflation, increased poverty in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, high levels of income inequality, and rising levels of hunger, food insecurity, and obesity.

Food inflation, which has been rising in the region since 2019, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. High inflation rates reduce households' purchasing power, jeopardizing their food security and limiting their access to nutritious food, especially for those in the lowest income quintiles, who allocate a significant portion of their budget to food purchases.

Latin America and the Caribbean is the region of the world with the highest average level of income inequality. In highly unequal countries, economic slowdowns and recessions disproportionately affect food security and nutrition among low-income groups. (FAO, 2022)

Public food and agricultural policies and state programs are needed to make healthy diets affordable for the entire population.