Despite improved security, one in eight people worldwide suffered chronic hunger between 2011 and 2013, according to a report from three United Nations food agencies.
The vast majority of the 842 million chronically hungry lived in the world's developing regions, although 15.7 million live in developed nations.
The annual State of Food Insecurity in the World report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), states that the number of chronically hungry is down from 868 million documented in 2010-2012, citing continued economic growth and the greater food security an improved income provides.
In some countries, remittances to migrant are playing a role in poverty reduction, the report stated, which has led to improved dietary standards and a greater level of food security. Since the 1990-1992 reporting cycle, the total number of undernourished people in developing countries has fallen by 17 percent.
However, despite the progress made worldwide, a huge number of people still lack adequate access to food.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most under-nourished region, nearly a quarter of the population living in a state of chronic hunger. In Western Asia, food security did not improve between reporting cycles, while Southern Asia and Northern Africa experienced only slight progress.
The report called for more economic aid to be given to the poorest communities. In Africa, where the gross domestic product grew by an average of 4.8 percent between 2002 and 2011, there are still a significant number of people who are food insecure.
The most recent edition of the Afrobarometer project reported that 17 percent of the Africans surveyed "frequently go without food." Nearly half the the Africans surveyed said they occasionally go without food.
"In poor countries, hunger and poverty reduction will only be achieved with growth that is not only sustained, but also broadly shared," the report said.