For millions of people living in mountainous areas, hunger and the threat of hunger are nothing new. Harsh climates and the difficult, often inaccessible terrain, combined with political and social marginality make mountain peoples vulnerable to food shortages.

As of 2015, one in three mountain people in developing countries was facing hunger and malnutrition.

The 2015 study Mapping the vulnerability of mountain peoples to food insecurity presents a geographic and demographic picture of the world’s mountain areas and assesses the vulnerability to food insecurity of mountain dwellers in developing countries, based on a specially designed model. The final section presents an alternative and complementary approach to assessing hunger by analyzing household surveys.

The results show that the living conditions of mountain dwellers have continued to deteriorate between 2002 and 2015. Global progress and living standard improvements did not appear to have made their way up the mountains and many mountain communities lagged behind the full eradication of poverty and hunger.

This 66-page publication gives voice to the plight of mountain people and sends a message to policy-makers on the importance of including mountain development in their agendas as well as specific measures and investments that could break the cycle of poverty and hunger of mountain communities and slows outmigration from mountain areas.

Updated information available: see the 2020 publication Vulnerability of mountain peoples to food insecurity: updated data and analysis of drivers

Call for abstracts, Mountain Futures conference

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The Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, together with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences and World Agroforestry Centre would like to invite contributions for the second International Conference on Mountain Futures, with a focus on "Ecosystem Rhythms, Land Systems and Sustainable Livelihoods".

The International Conference on Mountain Futures...

15 years of Mountain Partnership

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This publication celebrates the work of the Mountain Partnership - the only United Nations alliance dedicated to improving the lives of mountain communities and their ecosystems - over 15 years. It profiles key players, charts the achievements at global, regional and national level, and showcases success stories around the world....

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New issue of MRD Journal is now online

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The new issue of the journal Mountain Research and Development (MRD) focuses on the implications of out- and in-migration on the sustainable development of mountains around the world. Papers in this issue explore several topics, including how asylum seekers, amenity migrants and young people are being integrated in mountain villages...

A focus on sustainable mountain food systems

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The fifth edition of the Forum "Origin, Diversity and Territories" (ODT) was held on 1 December 2017 in Bulle, Switzerland and celebrated mountains under the theme "Designing sustainable mountain food systems". The forum explored the richness and dynamism of mountain territories.

In her opening remarks, Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, Read more »

2030 Agenda for Mountains - Framework for Action

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On International Mountain Day (11 December) 2017, a Framework for Action to support concrete actions, put in place long-lasting processes, and establish policies to strengthen the resilience of mountain peoples and environments was launched at the fifth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership. The Framework will aim to ensure that sustainable...