Every year on October 16, countries around the world celebrate World Food Day. This year’s theme, ‘Innovate today for a sustainable tomorrow,’ sets an ambitious agenda. However, many nations, including Madagascar, lack the means to achieve these goals, particularly in the fight against poverty and hunger as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Originally set for 2016, the deadline was pushed to 2030, yet with only four years remaining, no significant progress has been made in these areas, nor in health and education.
Worse, poverty and hunger have worsened year after year, regime after regime. The freefall of GDP, which dropped from $812 in 1960 to $656 in 2026, serves as clear evidence. The various therapies recommended by donors over the past century have failed to yield results, often exacerbating poverty through anti-social measures that erode the population’s purchasing power. Recurrent political crises have further stifled the economy.
The social gap has widened to the point where only two classes remain: the extremely wealthy and the extremely poor, with a void in between. Since the Ratsiraka era, the dream of food self-sufficiency has persisted, yet Madagascar has transformed from a rice exporter in the 60s and 70s into the largest importer in the Indian Ocean.
According to the World Bank, 77% of the population lives below the poverty line, with an average daily income of less than two dollars. For most, eating a balanced diet—containing carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals—has become a luxury. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and fresh produce are now unaffordable for the average Malagasy, and even access to water remains a persistent challenge. It is a bleak picture where a decent meal is no longer on the menu.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-17 05:38:47 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/tristesse-alimentaire.html