New York/Hangzhou 27 Sep (ANA) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Alibaba Group have launched a global hunger monitoring system that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and data analytics to predict and track the magnitude and severity of hunger in over 90 countries in real-time. 

 

'Hunger Map LIVE' brings together streams of publicly available information on food security, nutrition, conflict, weather and a variety of macro-economic data – including from WFP - all in one place to show a holistic picture of the food security situation. Advanced data visualization tools then convert the resulting analysis of food insecurity at the global, country and subnational levels, and display it on an interactive map.

 

By having the most up-to-date information on food security on one central platform, WFP, the broader humanitarian community and global leaders can monitor progress and identify trends early, ultimately enabling better informed decision-making to improve efficiency in response time and curtailing costs. 

 

"The Hunger MAP LIVE is a visual wake-up call every day, showing us a real-time snapshot of the problem and reminding all of us that we must do more to defeat hunger," said WFP Executive Director David Beasley, speaking at an event with Heads of State, civil society and technology industry leaders on the sidelines of this year’s UN General Assembly in New York,

 

"The Hunger Map LIVE demonstrates WFP's commitment to digital transformation, working strategically with partners to use technology in ways that help us become more efficient and effective," Beasley said. 

 

Underlining WFP’s renewed commitment to digital transformation, he added: “We started this strategic partnership with Alibaba in 2018 because we know that in the digital age, cooperation with the technology sector is critical. We need to continuously explore the latest technologies, newest ideas, and build lasting synergies with partners like Alibaba to help us reach those furthest behind,” said Beasley.

 

The announcement marks the first milestone in the long-term partnership signed last year to bring together WFP and Alibaba’s expertise to support efforts to achieve a world free of hunger by 2030. (ANA)

FA/ANA/27 September 2019-----