The United Nations says hunger kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. There has been progress since 1990 toward ending hunger. But it is estimated that more than 840 million people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. 

Asma Lateef is the director of the Bread for the World Institute. She says there is now a chance to end world hunger and not just react to emergencies. Ms. Lateef says she believes it is possible to meet that goal by 2030. Asma Lateef says many countries have worked together to try to end hunger worldwide. She says the governments of countries most affected by hunger have worked especially hard. She also praised the United States for its support and leadership on the problem. 

In 1996, the U.N. World Food Summit released a document known as the Rome Declaration. It called for reducing the number of hungry people by half within 20 years. Ms. Lateef says when the document was released there was no plan on how to meet that goal. She says a food security crisis in 2008 caused by high prices and shortages led countries and organizations to change the way they fight hunger. She says the resulting riots around the world showed political leaders that food insecurity was a national security threat. Ms. Lateef says the Obama administration has made food security and ending hunger a main goal since that time. She also says enough food is now produced for all people, but many are still too poor to pay for it.