This study, conducted by FAO and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, draws attention to an alarming fact: in 2012, 39 percent of the mountain population in developing countries was considered vulnerable to food insecurity, which is an increase of 30% compared to the conditions of mountain peoples in the year 2000. The situation is even worse if we consider only rural mountain peoples.

The living conditions of mountain peoples have deteriorated and their vulnerability to hunger has increased. Harsh climates and the difficult, often inaccessible terrain, combined with political and social marginality certainly contribute to making mountain peoples particularly vulnerable to food shortages.
In mountain areas, where family farming and smallholder agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry are the prevailing farming systems, it is essential to create a supportive, enabling environment in which mountain peoples have access to
training, information, credit and healthcare, and benefit from reliable governance systems and infrastructure.

FAO has been promoting sustainable mountain development since founding the Mountain Partnership, jointly with the governments of Italy and Switzerland and the United Nations Environment Programme, in 2002.
The Mountain Partnership Secretariat, which is hosted at FAO, works with the 263 members to improve the livelihoods of mountain peoples through advocacy, capacity development and joint action on the ground.

The data revealed in this study gives voice to the plight of mountain peoples. This study provides a clear message to policy-makers on the importance of including sustainable mountain development in their agendas. As we now endeavour to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, the international community and resource partners are hereby called upon to invest in mountain areas and reinforce the efforts of FAO and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat.