02

Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
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02

Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Zero Hunger

It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food. If done right, agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide nutritious food for all and generate decent incomes, while supporting people-centred rural development and protecting the environment. Right now, our soils, freshwater, oceans, forests and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded. Climate change is putting even more pressure on the resources we depend on, increasing risks associated with disasters such as droughts and floods. Many rural women and men can no longer make ends meet on their land, forcing them to migrate to cities in search of opportunities.

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish today's 795 million hungry and the additional 2 billion people expected by 2050.

The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication.

What's the goal here?

To end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Facts & figures

Hunger

  • Globally, one in nine people in the world today (795 million) are undernourished
  • The vast majority of the world's hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 per cent of the population is undernourished.
  • Asia is the continent with the most hungry people - two thirds of the total. The percentage in Southern Asia has fallen in recent years but in Western Asia it has increased slightly.
  • Southern Asia faces the greatest hunger burden, with about 281 million undernourished people. In sub-Saharan Africa, projections for the 2014-2016 period indicate a rate of undernourishment of almost 23 per cent.
  • Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 per cent) of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million children each year.
  • One in four of the world's children suffer stunted growth. In developing countries the proportion can rise to one in three.
  • 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.

Food security

  • Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of today's global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households.
  • 500 million small farms worldwide, most still rainfed, provide up to 80 per cent of food consumed in a large part of the developing world. Investing in smallholder women and men is an important way to increase food security and nutrition for the poorest, as well as food production for local and global markets.
  • Since the 1900s, some 75 per cent of crop diversity has been lost from farmers' fields. Better use of agricultural biodiversity can contribute to more nutritious diets, enhanced livelihoods for farming communities and more resilient and sustainable nutrition systems.
  • If women farmers had the same access to resources as men, the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million.
  • 1.4 billion people have no access to electricity worldwide - most of whom live in rural areas of the developing world. Energy poverty in many regions is a fundamental barrier to reducing hunger and ensuring that the world can produce enough food to meet future demand.

With enough food to feed everyone on the planet, why are there so many hungry people?

Poor harvesting practices, as well as food wastage have contributed to food scarcity. Wars have also had a negative impact on the availability of food and have led to a destruction of the health , which is critical to grow food.

Why should I care?

We all want our families to have enough food to eat that is safe and nutritious. A world with zero hunger can positively impact our economies, health, education, equality and social development. It's a key piece of building a better future for everyone. Additionally, with hunger limiting human development, we will not be able to achieve the other sustainable development goals such as education, health and gender equality.

How much will it cost to achieve zero hunger?

We will need an estimated additional $267 billion per year on average to end world hunger by 2030. There will need to be investments in rural and urban areas and in social protection, so poor people have access to food and can improve their livelihoods.

What can we do to help?

You can make changes in your own life-at home, at work and in the community -by supporting local farmers or markets and making sustainable food choices, supporting good nutrition for all, and fighting food waste. You can also use your power as a consumer and voter, demanding businesses and governments make the choices and changes that will make Zero Hunger a reality. Join the conversation, whether on social media platforms or in your local communities. You can join the Global Movement for Zero Hunger by joining the Zero Hunger Challenge to learn more, including more ways to take action!

Where are volunteer projects that need my help?

The Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. As such, the 17 SDGs and its associated 169 targets do not stand alone, but are are interconnected. The key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another. If you are interested in supporting a cause addressing to the goal {sdg.name}, you might also be interested in the related goals No Poverty, Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities And Communities, Responsible Consumption And Production and Life Below Water.

Please visit the website of the United Nations to find out more about Goal 02 Zero Hunger and other Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: United Nations