essay about zero hunger

Essay on Zero Hunger

Students are often asked to write an essay on Zero Hunger in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Zero Hunger

Understanding zero hunger.

Zero Hunger is a global aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition. It’s one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

Why is Zero Hunger Important?

Hunger leads to malnutrition, which can cause health problems. Achieving Zero Hunger means ensuring everyone has enough nutritious food, promoting better health.

How Can We Achieve Zero Hunger?

We can contribute by reducing food waste, supporting local farmers, and promoting sustainable farming. Everyone’s effort counts towards achieving Zero Hunger.

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250 Words Essay on Zero Hunger

Introduction to zero hunger.

Zero Hunger, a critical initiative of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to eradicate all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030. It emphasizes the necessity of a comprehensive approach, focusing on sustainable food production, improved nutrition, and increased agricultural productivity.

The Imperative of Zero Hunger

The urgency of Zero Hunger is underscored by the stark reality that nearly 690 million people worldwide go to bed hungry each night. The situation is exacerbated by factors such as climate change, economic disparities, and global pandemics. Achieving Zero Hunger is not merely about addressing hunger, but also about ensuring health, stimulating economic growth, and preserving our planet.

Strategies for Achieving Zero Hunger

Achieving Zero Hunger requires a multifaceted strategy. Sustainable agriculture, for instance, is a key pillar, promoting efficient use of resources and reducing the impact on the environment. Additionally, fostering resilient agricultural practices can help communities withstand climate-related shocks and natural disasters.

Challenges and the Way Forward

Despite the clear roadmap, the journey to Zero Hunger is riddled with obstacles. These include political instability, resource constraints, and the complexity of coordinating global efforts. Overcoming these challenges necessitates robust global cooperation, innovative solutions, and unwavering commitment.

In conclusion, Zero Hunger is an ambitious yet achievable goal. It demands collective action, sustained commitment, and innovative strategies. As we move towards a world free of hunger, we also pave the way for a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable future.

500 Words Essay on Zero Hunger

Introduction.

Zero Hunger is a global initiative aimed at eradicating hunger and malnutrition by 2030. It is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. The objective of Zero Hunger goes beyond addressing hunger, to include the commitment to ensure access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round for everyone.

Understanding the Zero Hunger Challenge

The importance of zero hunger.

Achieving Zero Hunger is crucial for the health and wellbeing of individuals and societies. Malnutrition and hunger are linked to poor physical and mental health, lower educational attainment, and reduced economic productivity. Moreover, hunger perpetuates a cycle of poverty and inequality, as those who are malnourished often struggle to work and learn, further limiting their opportunities. Therefore, eradicating hunger is not just a moral imperative, but also a necessary step towards achieving sustainable development and social justice.

Challenges in Achieving Zero Hunger

Despite the global commitment to Zero Hunger, progress has been slow and uneven. Conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are among the major barriers to achieving this goal. For instance, climate change threatens food production through increased droughts, floods, and storms, while conflict disrupts food distribution and access. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity, pushing millions more into hunger.

Strategies to Achieve Zero Hunger

Zero Hunger is a vital goal that demands urgent and collective action. It requires not only addressing immediate food needs, but also tackling the root causes of hunger and building a sustainable food system. While the challenges are immense, the potential benefits of achieving Zero Hunger – healthier populations, stronger economies, and more equitable societies – make it a goal worth striving for. As global citizens, we all have a role to play in achieving Zero Hunger and creating a world where everyone has access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.

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How to End World Hunger: 6 Solutions for Zero Hunger

We are at the crossroads of one of the greatest challenges of our time: How do we end world hunger? There are 828 million hungry people in the world, including 349 million people facing severe hunger. While this is the largest global food crisis in modern history, we have the solutions for a zero hunger world.

In 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Zero Hunger challenge as the U.N. plan to end world hunger. The challenge reflects five elements from within the Sustainable Development Goals which taken together can end hunger. These Zero Hunger solutions can massively transform agriculture and food systems. In addition to these five solutions, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) knows the majority of the world’s hungriest people live in conflict-affected areas. For this reason, we include a sixth Zero Hunger solution: break the cycle of conflict and hunger.

Here is how the U.N. World Food Programme works tirelessly to execute these solutions and end world hunger.

1. Break the Cycle of Conflict and Hunger

With almost 60% of the world’s hungriest people living in conflict affected zones , conflict is the greatest challenge to Zero Hunger .

Conflict and hunger create a vicious cycle. When war erupts, instability forces people to find illicit and sometimes violent means of acquiring their necessities. In this unstable period where access to food is fought over, the risk of social unrest heightens.

The U.N. World Food Programme is on the frontlines of the world’s worst conflicts, going where others can’t to deliver lifesaving food in the hardest-to-reach areas. The agency’s work to solve hunger has contributed to improving prospects for peace – effectively breaking the conflict and hunger cycle. In conflict zones, the U.N. World Food Programme is there to provide food and cash assistance, keep kids in classrooms with school meals and rebuild infrastructure through community projects.

In 2020, the U.N. World Food Programme became the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and was recognized by the Nobel Committee “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” The U.N. World Food Programme’s Nobel Peace Prize is a powerful call to action, recognizing the important link between conflict and hunger and the critical role of food assistance as a building block to peace and stability.

How Conflict Drives Hunger

2. increase sustainability and build resilience to climate change.

Climate extremes are one of the main drivers of severe hunger . We have entered a ‘new normal’ where consecutive and extreme weather events – like droughts, flooding, hurricanes and cyclones – decimate farming and drive displacement. As a result, communities constantly operate in recovery mode: Diminished economies, destroyed infrastructure and disrupted access to food significantly reduce people’s capacity to rebuild their livelihoods and prepare for the next imminent disaster.

The U.N. World Food Programme helps communities build resilience to climate change through long-term solutions including:

• Reforestation and land rehabilitation projects
• Climate insurance for small-scale farmers
• Providing local institutions with access to sustainable energy solutions

To tackle the challenges of climate change, food availability and food access, we must also help farmers grow a more diverse range of crops and livestock. That’s why the U.N. World Food Programme teaches farmers new techniques, equips them with tools and educates their communities about the nutritional importance of eating a wide range of foods.

3. Address Poverty & Inequality Through Social Safety Nets

Poverty and inequality are the root causes of global hunger. Imagine being a mother who must forgo her daily meals to feed her children, or a farmer who must sell food rations in exchange for farming equipment.

The U.N. World Food Programme helps governments strengthen national safety nets that safeguard their citizens from poverty, inequality and hunger. By 2030, the U.N. World Food Programme aims to substantially increase people’s access to their national social protection systems – thereby promoting equitable economic growth.

The U.N. World Food Programme is the world’s largest provider of humanitarian cash, distributing cash to over 40 million people across 70 countries . The global food crisis is mainly one of access where record-high prices mean people cannot buy what they need. Where markets are functioning, the U.N. World Food Programme can provide cash-based assistance in the form of bank notes, vouchers, debit cards, e-money or mobile money. Cash transfers empower families to decide how to spend their money while supporting local markets and economies.

Through Food for Assets projects, the U.N. World Food Programme offers food or cash assistance while participants work on community assets like roads, dams and irrigation systems. The community-centered approach of coming together to reinvigorate participants’ environment has extra benefits like promoting nutrition, gender equality and social protection. For example, in Mozambique, the Food For Assets program provides female farmers with opportunities to test out innovative farming techniques designed to build their harvests’ resilience to climate change. Participants may also receive agricultural training, which boosts their income and access to food.

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4. help rural farmers connect to markets.

One of the cruelest ironies of hunger is its disproportionate impact on small-scale farmers—the very people who grow food for a living. Small-scale farmers make up the majority of people living in poverty. Their economic losses come from lack of access to production inputs like proper storage, fertilizer and farming equipment as well as constant challenges from climate extremes.

The U.N. World Food Programme works to connect small-scale farmers to local economies while providing them with the resources to improve production, reduce their post-harvest losses, develop business skills and gain access to financial tools.

In over 40 countries the U.N. World Food Programme connects small-scale farmers to markets so that they can supply their own communities with lifesaving food. The program Purchase for Progress (P4P) partners farmers with the private sector, encouraging investments that diversify their crops and expand their business prospects.

5. Reduce Food Waste & Food Loss

The world produces more than enough food to feed everyone, and yet 828 million people still go to bed hungry each night. In high-income countries, 40% of food is wasted because people buy more food than they can consume. In low-income countries, where the vast majority of the world’s hungriest people live, most food loss occurs during the early stages of growth, harvest and storage.

The U.N. World Food Programme is working to eliminate food loss and waste by:

• Providing farmers with modern storage equipment like silos and air-tight bags
• Offering long-lasting foods like flour, dried beans and salt – all properly packaged in sturdy containers
• Investing in innovations like hydroponics that allow communities to grow, sell and store food in the harshest conditions
• Selling and storing food in impossible places due to exposure of extreme temperatures, excess dust and general pollution
• Advocating for policy that distributes American-grown crops to people in need – like the U.S. Farm Bill which supplies the U.N. World Food Programme with U.S. agricultural commodities like rice, corn, wheat and soybeans for people abroad

6. Eliminate Malnutrition in Mothers & Children

45% of deaths among children under age 5 are caused by malnutrition. The first two years of a baby’s life are critical when it comes to receiving the nourishment they need to grow into a healthy adult. From Fortified Blended Foods to High Energy Biscuits, the U.N. World Food Programme ensures millions of children and pregnant and nursing women have access to specialized nutritious food. Last year, the U.N. World Food Programme reached more than 17 million mothers and children with programs to prevent and treat malnutrition.

What You Can Do to End World Hunger

Zero Hunger may seem like an impossible goal, but through these six solutions we can make this dream a reality. The U.N. World Food Programme plays a vital role in that work by:

• Ensuring people in conflict-affected areas will not have food weaponized against them
• Anticipating, responding to and building resilience against the shocks and stresses of climate extremes
• Leveraging social safety nets, cash assistance and infrastructure to financially empower communities and local markets
• Connecting small-scale farmers with the tools they need to maintain sustainable agriculture for their country’s food security
• Making sure that the ample food that is grown across the world does not go to waste due to improper management or redistribution
• Protecting groups affected by or at risk of malnutrition (primarily mothers and children) by supplying them with specialized nutritious foods

You also play a vital role in ending world hunger. There are a lot of ways you can be part of creating a Zero Hunger world like playing the Freerice game, signing advocacy petitions or starting a fundraising campaign. Discover how you can be part of the solution for global hunger.

Unless action is taken now, millions of people have the potential to fall into deeper levels of hunger. We can respond to this global emergency by addressing hunger at its root causes. We all have an obligation to build a future that better serves our planet and all the people that live on it.

Donate to End World Hunger

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Opinion: We Can End Hunger, Here's How

The international community has embraced eliminating hunger by 2030. But with more than 600 million people still likely to suffer from hunger in 2030, we're far from reaching that goal. We're making progress against hunger, the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization writes, but not enough to end it.

Social Studies, Economics

Feeding a Family

a mother feeding her 10 children in Kenya

Photograph by Dominic Nahr

This article was originally published October 16, 2015, written by José Graziano Da Silva, UN Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization. The international community has embraced a new goal, the eradication of hunger by 2030. That makes us the zero-hunger generation with a shared commitment to make hunger history. As we commemorate the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s birth 70 years ago and celebrate World Food Day, we are reminded of FAO’s mission to ensure food security for all, everywhere. The zero-hunger goal requires us to accelerate our efforts to eliminate hunger and poverty. FAO monitors 129 countries and 72 of those have halved the number of people experiencing undernourishment between the years of 1991 and 2014 and have achieved the Millennium Development Goal. (Since the release of this op-ed, the UN Millemmium Development Goals, have been replaced by the UN Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. Eliminating hunger is the second goal, or  SDG 2 .) Progress, however, has been uneven: Some 800 million people continue to suffer hunger, and almost a billion live in extreme poverty. We need to break out of the cycles that trap people in poverty and hunger. In a business-as-usual scenario, more than 600 million people are still likely to be hungry in 2030. That’s a long way from zero. A Pro-Poor Posture Eradicating hunger requires commitment—political will. It will require sustained efforts in many areas, particularly pro-poor investments in rural areas, where the majority of the world’s most vulnerable live. Economic growth alone will not suffice; it needs to be socially inclusive to ensure sufficient access to food for all. Pro-poor public investments include infrastructure benefitting small family farms, ensuring sustainable agriculture, reducing post-harvest food losses, strengthening land and water rights, and making sure that the poor and marginalized —whose ranks include many women and youth—have fair access to credit, farm inputs including seed and fertilizers, and the extension services that provide training and advice to rural, small family farms. Road improvement projects in South Asia's Bangladesh, to cite an example, increased agricultural wages by 27 percent and greatly increased school enrollment for local children. Such investments can break the self-perpetuating cycle of rural poverty. Beyond Short-Term Tactics Along with more pro-poor investments, we need to promote wider and deeper use of social protection programs to lift people out of poverty permanently by ensuring people do not slip back into it. Social protection refers to programs to provide basic needs. Providing a social protection floor ensures basic needs for all. Social protection schemes can take many forms, including guaranteed employment in public works, cash or in-kind transfers to eligible beneficiaries, and school feeding programs. If well designed, they enable the poorest to undertake activities to earn more, rising above the poverty line. In 2013 alone, social protection measures took around 150 million people out of extreme poverty. The growing acceptance and proliferation of social protection in the developing world implies the recognition of their ability to immediately address poverty and hunger. Such schemes work and are affordable, especially compared to the cost and price of doing nothing. Social protection offsets income shortfalls so that vulnerable households can avoid livelihood and food security shocks (sudden, unexpected loss of food from climate change or a geopolitical crisis), which are particularly hard for rural households that are dependent on agriculture to recover from. But it can do much more: It can help millions of family farmers and rural laborers move beyond short-term survival tactics and enable them to invest more in productive activities as well as their children’s health and education. Time is money, and that is no less true for the poor. Today, we know that even relatively small monetary transfers to poor households, when regular and predictable, helps them pursue other income-generating activities. Far from creating dependency or reducing work effort, social protection strengthens livelihoods. Increasing the purchasing power of the poor also benefits the wider community by increasing business opportunities, triggering a virtuous local economic growth cycle, which is especially welcome in typically neglected rural areas. But social protection programs, on their own, will not be enough. We need to integrate them with pro-poor agricultural investment programs to derive more effective collaborations. Political commitment, partnerships, and adequate funding are key to realizing this vision. Policies and plans for rural development, poverty reduction, food security, and nutrition need to promote pro-poor investments and social protection to fight poverty and hunger, together with a broader set of interventions, notably in health and education. We know what to do. We have the tools. Now we’ve made the pledge. So we must be the zero-hunger generation.

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One Health, Zero Hunger

Note: The views expressed in this chapter are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Welthungerhilfe or Concern Worldwide.

FIGURE 2.1 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 2 (ZERO HUNGER) AND THE EIGHT TARGETS FOR ASSESSING PROGRESS

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It’s been a year that none of us could have predicted. Yet in many ways it is a culmination of the predictions we have heard for decades.

Warnings about the emergence of new viral pathogens are nothing new, but the failure to heed or act on those warnings has contributed to the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects.

At the same time, as predicted, humans’ impacts on the environment are leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and soil degradation. These impacts, when coupled with failure to invest in sound biosecurity practices, contribute to an increasing threat from emerging, boundary-crossing infectious diseases in humans, animals, and plants ( Yadav, Singh, and Malik 2020 ; Royal Society and NAS 2020 ; Gray and Merzdorf 2019 ; Edwards 2017 ; Sundström et al. 2014 ; Seneviratne et al. 2012; Waage and Mumford 2008).

Cyclones have caused widespread damage in many South Pacific island countries and in South Asia in 2020, and heavy rains in usually dry regions have given rise to massive swarms of locusts that threaten crops in East Africa, South Asia, and the Gulf countries. The fall armyworm is decimating staple crops across Africa South of the Sahara and Southeast Asia, and control efforts are complicated by COVID-19 restrictions in many countries ( Bourke and Sar 2020 ; FAO 2020f ).

Unsurprisingly, the overlapping disasters of 2020 have led to economic and health-related hardships across the globe, hampering food security for millions by disrupting agricultural production, the availability of food, and people’s ability to obtain and utilize food, disproportionately harming those living in poverty.

The world was off track to reach Zero Hunger by 2030 even before each of the 2020 disasters exacerbated hunger and undernutrition.

Five years ago, the UN member states committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2: “ End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture ” ( see Figure 2.1 ). After a long, slow, progressive decline, the number of undernourished people started rising in 2015 and continues its upward trajectory. In 2019, even before the recent crises, nearly 690 million people suffered from chronic hunger, and 135 million people experienced acute food crisis . Child stunting and wasting are falling but not fast enough to meet SDG 2 (FAO et al. 2020; FSIN 2020; UN 2019b). Now the health and economic crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in income losses, food and labor shortages, and health service disruptions that affect the most vulnerable, threatening to set back progress even further. The World Food Programme warns that an additional 130 million people could be pushed into acute food crisis by the end of 2020, bringing the total to 265 million people ( UN 2020f ).

In the decade leading up to 2030, how can we overcome these shocks and setbacks to achieve Zero Hunger for all? The events of 2020 are laying bare many of the vulnerabilities of the world’s food system; they reveal that it is woefully inadequate for coping with the kinds of overlapping global and regional crises that we are currently experiencing and that we may expect more of by 2030 (FAO et al. 2020; Nguyen 2018). We have seen how the crises disrupt the food and agriculture sector, jeopardize the stability of human, animal, and environmental health, and have lasting implications on the global economy, livelihoods, and food security ( FAO et al. 2020 ; OECD 2020 ). We argue in this essay that by taking an integrated approach to health and food and nutrition security, it is possible to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. To do so, we must design responses to the current crises and their underlying causes and move forward in ways that support the transformation of the current food system to one that is more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient.

An important element of this endeavor will be to employ a holistic One Health approach. Sectoral responses alone rarely deliver sustained positive outcomes for complex problems such as climate change, chronic hunger, and unsustainable agricultural practices. One Health therefore works to achieve optimal health outcomes based on a recognition of the interconnections between humans, animals, plants, and their shared environment, as well as an understanding of the role of fair trade relations ( CDC 2020 ; FAO 2020j ). While the framing and use of the term “One Health” is relatively new, the concept is not: as far back as the 1800s scientists recognized the similarity in disease processes between animals and humans and coined the term “zoonoses” for diseases that can pass between animals and humans.

More recently, it has become clear that human impacts on planetary health, including land use change, soil depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss, are inextricably linked to animal and human health . To prevent, respond to, and recover from such challenges, cooperation among multidisciplinary teams is needed to safeguard agricultural production and public health from natural disasters and boundary-crossing diseases and to ensure that people have access to safe, nutritious, and healthy food. Currently, One Health tends to be implemented through consultation between sectors; it will become fully functional only when circular food, health, and economic systems - based on continual reuse of materials and products and elimination of waste - are implemented at local, national, and global levels ( CHF 2020 ).

The One Health approach - with its focus on increasing sustainable practices in agriculture and improving the overall health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment - has the potential to be transformative ( Cleaveland et al. 2017 ; Garcia, Osburn, and Jay-Russell 2020 ; Alders et al. 2017 ; Lysaght et al. 2017 ). By highlighting the ways our current challenges are interconnected, One Health points to the need to tackle human, animal, and environmental health holistically in order to avert future health crises, restore a healthy planet, and sustainably end hunger.

Where the Cracks Are Showing: Weak Points in the World Food System

Pressures on planetary and social boundaries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of globalized food systems, their inherent inequities, and their inadequacy to provide for healthy people and a healthy planet.

Our globalized food systems pose a threat to human, animal, and environmental health

We are hitting planetary and social boundaries—that is, the ecological ceiling and the social foundation beyond which humans cannot safely and equitably thrive—and our food systems are part of the problem ( Figure 2.2 ; Raworth 2017b). Globally, we are seeking to achieve Zero Hunger at the same time that all societies are grappling with the need to manage the impacts of climate change, emerging diseases, extinctions and loss of bio- and agrodiversity, overconsumption of freshwater, rising rates of malnutrition, soil depletion and degradation, land use change, and biological and chemical pollution, while also meeting their immediate needs within national budgets (Alders et al. 2018; Rampa et al. 2019 ; also see Box 2.1 on the overlapping crises in the Horn of Africa).

One manifestation of the overshooting of planetary boundaries is the increasing frequency of the emergence of new infectious diseases and their rapid spread. As humans have encroached upon and destroyed natural habitats to establish, among other things, pastures for livestock, the result has been that wild animals live closer to areas where humans rear livestock and poultry, exposing domestic animals to a completely new range of pathogens and vectors to which they are highly susceptible. These diseases can spread rapidly, resulting in heavy morbidity and mortality among livestock, trade restrictions, and economic losses ( Garcia, Osburn, and Jay-Russell 2020 ). Domesticated livestock and companion animals have been associated with increased risk of emerging infectious diseases (Johnson et al. 2020, Kock 2014), antimicrobial resistance (Graham et al. 2019), and introduction of disease into susceptible wildlife populations (Yadav, Singh, and Malik 2020). And the spread of COVID-19 shows the simultaneous vulnerability of public health, the economy, and food and nutrition security to emerging diseases.

Our food systems pose health hazards to humans and the environment and have a big part in the rise of emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Through land use change, intensive agriculture, large-scale livestock production, and other practices, food systems have led to agroecological degradation, destroyed habitats, and contributed to climate change (IPES-Food 2017). Indeed, the food system contributes 21–37 percent of total net human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases and accounts for 70 percent of freshwater use. Agriculture—cropping and pasturage—occupies nearly 40 percent of global land (Willett et al. 2019; IPCC 2020).

Overall, the huge increase in intensive livestock production has been the most significant cause of the huge loss of biodiversity in recent decades; the extinction rate is now estimated at between 100 and 1,000 times that of preindustrial levels (Ceballos, Ehrlich, and Raven 2020; Ceballos et al. 2015; Pimm et al. 2014; Barnosky et al. 2011). Changing lifestyles and diets in recent decades have led to increased demand for animal-source foods such as eggs, meat, milk, and fish, resulting in higher rates of diet-related noncommunicable disease as well as in the intensification of production systems, overcrowding of animals, and increased risk of animal disease outbreaks and spillovers of disease from animals to humans (Yadav, Singh, and Malik 2020; FAO et al. 2020).

Half of the emerging zoonotic diseases between 1940 and 2005 have been attributed to changes in land use, agricultural practices, and food production (IPES-Food 2017). As land in low- and middle-income countries is converted to grow feed crops for cattle feedlots and intensively raised pigs and poultry in other parts of the world - sometimes as a result of land grabs by rich countries and corporations - the change in land use destroys forests and contributes to loss of carbon sinks (Blanco 2018).

Similarly, a significant part of the animal-source foods imported into low- and middle- income countries come from intensive livestock production in the exporting countries, with adverse impacts on global ecosystems, pastoralists’ livelihoods, and human health (Coordination SUD 2019). At the same time, domestic supply chains show weaknesses that threaten people’s food and nutrition security, including inadequate food preservation facilities for perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables, and animal-source foods (FAO 2017). Since the emergence of COVID-19, there has been an increasing focus on the human-animal-environment disease interface as encompassed in the One Health concept ( Kock et al. 2020 ), with wet markets and their role in pathogen transmission from wildlife to people frequently cited (Restif 2020). However, wet markets have long played a key role in distributing fresh food in many societies and will continue to do so ( Ribeiro et al. 2020 ). In a number of countries, consumers are concerned about a lack of access to affordable animal-source foods (owing to high animal mortality and market failure) and have little confidence in the safety of intensively produced food (Duggan 2015; World Bank 2016a); they worry, for example, about contamination of food with hormones, antibiotics, or pesticide residues. These concerns frequently underlie their preference for non-domesticated animals sold through informal markets ( Alders 2020 ).

Our food systems are inherently unequal and further exacerbate inequities

Global food governance is tilted against low-income countries and smallholder farmers. The world’s increasingly globalized food systems have been accompanied by increasing dependence on food imports by low- and middle-income countries as well as underinvestment in local farmers, farmer associations, and smallholder-oriented value chains (FAO 2014, 2017; Poole and de Frece 2010; McMichael 2013). In 2017 the trade gaps between low- and middle-income countries on the one hand and high-income countries on the other were reported to be widening, with low- and middle-income countries projected to be net importers of meat and dairy products by 2030 (FAO 2017).

Most high-income countries provide international agricultural development assistance designed to help increase smallholder farmers’ production and income in low- and middle-income countries, while at the same time retaining trade advantages through non-tariff barriers to trade (Gourdon and Nicita 2012). Domestic production in low- and middle-income countries cannot compete with cheap imported goods (such as ultra-processed foods or powdered milk) that benefit from subsidized production in the country of origin (Blanco 2018).

Furthermore, some food assistance from high-income countries to low-income countries still requires the recipient country to procure food from a restricted number of countries or award contracts to companies in donor countries, thus weakening local food systems in recipient countries. A considerable share of global food assistance therefore remains an export subsidy masquerading as charity (OECD 2018). While the United Nations food agencies work in pursuit of food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture, trade regulations discount the health impacts of trade in food commodities and can constrain low-income countries’ nutrition policies (Thow et al. 2017). At the same time, the globalization of food systems, along with persistent 19th-century approaches to food prices (that is, pricing based on weight or volume rather than nutrient composition and density) and the siloing of the agricultural, health, and environment sectors, places huge stresses on smallholder livestock keepers, small-scale aquaculture, and family farmers worldwide ( Alders et al. 2016 ).

Given that family farms represent more than 90 percent of all farms globally and produce 80 percent of the world’s food in value terms, supporting these mostly smallholder farmers will be key to achieving SDG 2 ( FAO and IFAD 2019 ).

Lack of secure land tenure and resulting food insecurity are a persistent issue for rural communities, indigenous people, women, and marginalized groups. Land grabs have a long history, from the colonial era to the present, and they continue to increase hunger and distort land management ( Anderson et al. 2019 ). Displacement of smallholder farmers, pastoralists, and indigenous people is ongoing as international investors and corporations seize existing farmland and clear new land for agricultural endeavors across a range of countries (Twomey 2014). These land grabs are frequently driven by global capital and corporate agribusinesses that are responsible not to local land or people but to faraway shareholders (Deininger et al. 2011). A lack of enduring links to this land and its associated ecosystems contributes not only to a reluctance to employ sustainable practices requiring long-term investments in landscapes, including soil and water, but also to ecosystem damage resulting from the expansion of agricultural land into previously uncultivated landscapes, thereby increasing the risk of emergence of new pathogens ( Anderson et al. 2019 ).

Insecure land tenure is a major contributor to degraded land and inadequate diets, the impacts of which are frequently felt more by women and marginalized groups ( Alders et al. 2016 ). Women and other marginalized groups are disproportionately harmed by cultural and legal proscriptions and norms, including unequal access to credit and information, that prevent them from participating fully and equally in agricultural and other livelihood activities and from reaping the benefits of these activities ( Alders et al. 2016 ; Quisumbing et al. 2014).

In Africa South of the Sahara, for example, women play a dominant role in the production, processing, and postharvest storage of food, yet they make up only 15 percent of landholders ( Alders et al. 2016 ). When women have a lower income share within a household, that household spends less of its budget on food (Hopkins, Levin, and Haddad 1994). Widespread and ongoing iron deficiency in women of reproductive age, as well as a higher global malnutrition rate compared with men, reflects systemic discrimination, including within health and nutrition services ( FAO et al. 2020 ; Alders 2018 ). The poor nutritional status of women interferes with their daily activities and livelihoods and crosses generations because poorly nourished women are more likely to give birth to children with a low birth weight (FAO et al. 2020). The 2020 GHI also shows that rural and indigenous regions often present higher rates of child stunting (see 2020 Results ).

Formal and informal education on agriculture and nutrition is insufficiently tailored to local conditions. Individuals’ choices about their diets and farmers’ decisions about their agricultural practices are influenced by factors besides education, but without appropriate educational opportunities it is almost impossible to achieve optimal results, especially in resource-limited circumstances. A series of avoidable barriers mean that too many children lack access to the education necessary to learn life skills and help them thrive (UNICEF 2020b). Vulnerable households often cannot afford the costs associated with schooling or need children to supply farm or household labor (ILO 2020). School curricula are often poorly adapted to local circumstances, including local agroecological zones and marketing systems (Epstein and Yuthas 2012), and insufficient attention is given to understanding sustainable agriculture, human nutrition, and how to meet nutrient requirements with locally available, nutritious food ( Garcia, Osburn, and Jay-Russell 2020 ; CHF 2020 ).

Social protection remains insufficient or misdirected. Support for the most vulnerable - that is, programs to boost the well-being of poor people, children, the elderly, and others through cash transfers, food transfers, subsidies, and social insurance - is crucial for people’s food security during crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the degree to which social protection is lacking. In many low- and middle-income countries, rural households increasingly rely on informal off-farm sources of income and are becoming net food consumers vulnerable to shocks ( Rapsomanikis 2015 ).

Even before COVID-19, 55 percent of the world’s population was not covered by any social protection programs ( Ortiz 2018 ). Carrying out such programs requires significant investment in avenues for connecting with individuals and households, especially those dependent on the informal sector ( Razavi 2020 ). The lack of accurate data on the number of people involved in the informal sector and insufficient government and civil society links with informal networks increase the difficulty of organizing distribution programs. Furthermore, overseas remittances play a critical role in maintaining many households’ incomes and food consumption. Now, as a consequence of COVID-19 control measures, countless migrant workers worldwide are losing their jobs, and remittances to low- and middle-income countries are projected to fall by 19.7 percent to US$445 billion (World Bank 2020d). As unemployed migrant workers return to their home villages, they will place further strain on limited food stocks and social protection programs (Pancawati 2020). Finally, the agricultural and supply chain workers who feed the world receive low wages, have little to no job security (Martin 2016), and are frequently at high risk of contracting COVID-19.

Inadequate emergency responses are disrupting local food systems and fail to support local producers. COVID-19 containment measures, enforced without a clear declaration that agricultural and food services are essential, have endangered food security in many locations ( Swinnen and McDermott 2020 ). Restricted labor mobility in areas dependent on seasonal or migrant laborers and the difficulties associated with accessing markets and transporting food both within and between countries are disrupting food supply chains and hampering people’s access to essential goods and services (FAO et al. 2020).

These restrictions not only cause short-term shocks to food supplies but also weaken local producers’ ability to prepare for the next sowing or production cycle, further diminishing the likelihood of achieving Zero Hunger in the coming decade (UN 2020d). This situation highlights the costly result of failure to coordinate preparedness and response activities between different sectors, such as health, agriculture, and trade.

Building Food Systems for One Health and Zero Hunger

We need to build back better by achieving inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food systems and preserving biodiversity for the future we want (UN 2020b, c). Working to achieve SDG2—Zero Hunger— and its associated targets by 2030 will be a crucial part of this rebuild, but what steps are required? Many immediate needs must be addressed now, and many others must be tackled over the coming decade. If we are to build back better, we will also need to undertake some transformations so monumental they will extend across the next several decades, as food systems and economies are reimagined as part of a net-zero-carbon world. As we pursue the goal of Zero Hunger, a One Health approach points the way toward a future that maximizes the health of humans, animals, and the environment. The following actions constitute a road map for ending hunger and building sustainable food systems now, over the next 10 years, and in the decades to come.

Actions for multilaterals, governments, communities, and individuals to take now

Sustain current food production and distribution. To guarantee ongoing food availability, the production and supply of food must be classified as essential services, and safe working environments must be guaranteed (FAO 2020i). Governments and citizens must also prepare now to ensure all required inputs are available for the next and subsequent planting seasons. As they bolster food supply chains and correct value chain disruptions associated with COVID-19 control measures, governments must work toward reduced food loss and waste in postharvest management and throughout the value chain. Aligning support for agricultural production by smallholder farmers, reducing food dumping, using cash and voucher assistance whenever feasible, and promoting the effective use of perishable food will require intersectoral coordination among governments, nongovernmental organizations, and community-based entities working collaboratively under a One Health banner (World Bank 2020b). Food and nutrition security projects linked with human, animal, and environmental health, such as those implemented by Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International, exemplify the multiple benefits of One Health programs that achieve greater integration of management, farming, food, and disease control aligned with local ecosystems (VSF Europa 2014). Equitable access to new technologies and emergency countermeasures, including diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics for both human and animal disease crises, as well as essential agricultural inputs such as appropriate seeds, must be guaranteed. In addition, governments should fully integrate their national security, health security, and food security strategies to develop sufficient preparedness and response capacity to address a wider array of potential hazards and threats to society.

Ensure governments, donors, and NGOs work closely with community organizations so that social protection measures reach the most vulnerable. Given that so many people affected by COVID-19 are informal workers, the unemployed, and the elderly, community-based and civil society organizations must help reach those unable to gain access to the official social protections on offer. Organizations trusted by communities and authorities are vital to ensuring that cash transfers, essential health care, food transfers, small business grants, and public employment schemes function optimally and fairly. In some areas hit hard by the economic consequences of the pandemic, households’ efforts to meet their food needs are threatening local ecosystems, biodiversity, and endangered species, so it is important to identify options for sustaining their food security in culturally acceptable ways that support human, animal, and planetary health (Poole 2020). In one past example in Chad, joint One Health efforts to combine childhood vaccination programs with cattle vaccination in pastoralist communities demonstrated both increased vaccination coverage and savings of 15 percent compared with the routine practice of separate campaigns for animal and human vaccination (Schelling et al. 2007). These types of innovative and practical One Health solutions, tailored to local needs and circumstances, will be required in a future constrained by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Improve the coordination and efficiency of regional and international efforts. Regional institutions—especially regional economic communities such as the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—must negotiate strongly with donors and groups such as the World Trade Organization on behalf of low- and middle-income countries to shore up their own regional food supply chains and ensure access to the technologies, countermeasures, and expertise needed to respond to acute shocks like COVID-19 and the locust crisis. Key international agricultural programs should address the immediate crises and be replenished in accordance with evaluation findings, such as IFAD’s Scaling Up Evaluation Synthesis (IFAD 2017). Food assistance should also be designed to support local food systems in the recipient country. As part of this effort, all food assistance should be untied from the requirement to acquire donor-country commodities and from the continuing obligation to primarily use donor countries’ logistics, storage, and distribution companies, as recommended by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 2019). This would give recipient countries the flexibility to adopt best-value-for-money options for feeding their populations and implementing their food security strategies (Cardwell and Ghazalian 2020; Jaspars and Leather 2005). During the current crisis, governments and multilateral bodies must document and analyze the impacts of disruptions to international and national supply lines through a One Health and equity-sensitive lens to ensure efficient, equitable food production. The distribution of agricultural inputs, including credit and extension services, must not be subject to gender-based or other forms of discrimination. Finally, a number of key international summits are planned for 2021, including the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Food Systems Summit. The participants in these summits, as well as the global community, should ensure that the recommendations are well coordinated, coherent, and complementary; that they are actually implemented; and that they center on promoting the health of humans, animals, plants, and the planet. One example of what is possible when sectors, disciplines, and countries work together for the common good is the launch of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity in 2005, which has advanced the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, guided by fair and equitable sharing of benefits.

Actions for multilaterals, governments, communities, and individuals to take by 2030

Use lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises to build safe, resilient food systems that can prevent complex emergencies and better respond to them. Global agreements and action on sustainable food systems must bring all stakeholders to the table (FAO et al. 2020). To improve transparency and accountability, it is important to remove the friction between multilateral agencies, government ministries, and NGOs generated by overlapping mandates and competition for increasingly scarce resources. Huge trade and investment disparities between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries perpetuate food system inequity and inefficiency, and these must be addressed. In response to shocks to food systems, high-income countries and the international community must address short-term symptoms (such as by providing food and cash or vouchers to vulnerable individuals and households and improving wet market facilities and hygiene standards) without harming the livelihoods of local food producers. Stakeholders must commit to dealing with the issues underlying chronic food and nutrition insecurity, loss of faith in food safety, and inadequate remuneration of farmers, producers, and other key participants within a resilient food system. They must significantly increase investments in agricultural research and development, food quality and safety, and human health, and they must ensure that domestic and international policy making, implementation, monitoring, and impact assessments are inclusive.

Carry out a global, multisectoral review of food, health, and economic systems through a One Health lens to chart a sustainable and resilient pathway for governments and donors that paves the way for environmental recovery. This review should be convened and implemented by a neutral entity with representatives from the public, private, and civil society sectors across all geographical regions. Among other things, it must address the need to strengthen data collection in order to better monitor the management of agricultural and natural resources on which smallholder food systems rely and to support the surveillance of animal, zoonotic, and foodborne diseases. Biosecurity legislation will need to take into account findings on crises such as COVID-19, the locust plague, fall army worm infestations, and African swine fever to enable the transparent trade of safe, high-quality food commodities and agricultural inputs that adhere to agreed-upon standards. Evidence on the impact of crises on low- and middle-income countries and on vulnerabilities in high-income countries, including evidence on how malnutrition increases health risks from pandemics, provides lessons that should be used to accelerate ongoing reforms, such as universal health coverage, global health security, and disaster risk reduction commitments. A new global coordination mechanism is required to enable food and other allied international thematic institutions to align policies in support of resilience and sustainable food systems (United Nations General Assembly 2019; UN 1992; WHO 2005; UNDRR 2015). These efforts must be accompanied by enhanced investments in sustainable food systems at the territorial level—including, where feasible, through properly regulated mechanisms blending public and private finance, such as public guarantees and responsible and just governance of tenure of land, fisheries, and forests (FAO 2012)—to reduce the investment risk associated with the food and agriculture sector.

Take a One Health approach to invest in sustainable food production, distribution, and nutrient recycling. Smallholders and input supply services must be provided with the knowledge and inputs to make their production systems more resilient and sufficiently profitable so they can meet their nutrient requirements either directly through their own production or indirectly through fair farm-gate prices that allow them to purchase safe and nutritious food ( CHF 2020 ). Given the importance of diversifying both food production and consumption to achieve more sustainable and resilient food systems and better nutritional outcomes through sustainable healthy diets ( Alders et al. 2016 ; FAO and WHO 2019), nutritious but neglected food species amenable to sustainable harvesting should be integrated into smallholder household livelihood strategies. A One Health approach that engages various sectors and disciplines will help identify options that enable households to use the food resources available to them across the seasons of the year and work with them to identify optimal practices (Wong et al. 2018). The reintroduction of river prawns upstream from the Diama Dam along the Senegal River is an example of this type of One Health approach in action. The project provides a regionally tailored, sustainable approach to the control of schistosomiasis—a disease that affects some 240 million people across the world—while enabling the restoration of a previously established source of food and income for local fisheries (Sokolow et al. 2015; Shaikh, Rahman- Shepherd, and Dar 2018). Governments and donors need to promote effective smallholder production and marketing organizations; cost-efficient food preservation, marketing, and food safety systems, including improved postharvest management; better linkages between rural and urban areas to shorten supply chains (increasing the resilience of local food systems to international shocks); agroecological approaches that match plant varieties, animal breeds, and farming systems with local conditions and tailored educational and vocational training (FAO 2020a); and efficient recycling of nutrient-rich organic waste (Alders et al. 2016). These activities must run in parallel with strengthened coordination across agriculture, education, finance, human health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene to generate synergistic outcomes, both horizontally and vertically. Evidence-based approaches to managing wet markets (including improved measures for preventing and controlling infection and disease surveillance systems) and options for effectively preserving animal-source foods, fruits, and vegetables are essential to support people’s access to and use of safe, nutritious, diverse foods. Finally, significantly reducing industrial livestock production while ensuring access for those who need animal-source food the most—undernourished pregnant and lactating mothers and infants in the first 1,000 days of life in resource-poor settings (Grace et al. 2018)—would offer clear gains: more competitive pricing of local products in low- and middle-income countries, recovery of the environment and biodiversity, mitigation of climate change drivers (Jackson et al. 2020; Young 2018), reduced global risk of emerging and persistent zoonotic diseases (Alders et al. 2013), and reduction of malnutrition (Grace et al. 2018).

Implement formal and informal education programs that match people’s circumstances. School curricula should be tailored to local conditions, including local agroecological zones and marketing systems. Students should be introduced to the One Health concept early on (Thomson 2020) and instructed in human nutrition and how to meet the nutrient requirements of girls, boys, women, and men with locally available, nutritious food to ensure good outcomes for human well-being, food and nutrition security, and natural resources ( Garcia, Osburn, and Jay-Russell 2020 ; CHF 2020 ). In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, farmer field schools and care group programs for women and children have been shown to be particularly effective.

Support regional trade initiatives that include social and environmental metrics. Trade agreements should do more than merely pursue short-term economic gains at the macro level. The 193 countries that signed the SDGs have committed to SDG 17.10: “a universal, rulesbased, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization” (WTO 2020). These countries must push global agricultural, environmental, and trade institutions to deliver a harmonized policy framework that is good for food producers, consumers, the environment, and the economy.

Actions for multilaterals, governments, communities, and individuals to take beyond 2030

Globally and nationally affirm food and nutrition security as a key component of human health, as outlined in the 2019 United Nations Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage . Acknowledging the key role of food and nutrition security will require balancing multilateral and national budget allocations across food-related sectors and harmonizing policies related to emergency response, agriculture, education, and health.

Develop and implement circular economic systems that promote sustainable local agricultural production along with climate-friendly and fair global trade of agricultural products and food. A circular economy recycles resources and materials to keep them continually in use, regenerates natural systems, and eliminates waste and pollution ( CHF 2020 ). In a food system, a circular economy requires producers, consumers, companies, and governments to reduce the amount of waste generated in the food system, safely reuse leftover food, make use of by-products and food waste, recycle nutrients, and implement systems to manage food waste and surpluses so they are not lost to the system (Jurgilevich et al. 2016; Figure 2.3 ). The provision of affordable, fresh, healthy food is vital to ending malnutrition and improving well-being, making it essential for food producers and consumers to have more information about the larger systems in which they operate. Internationally based, locally adapted frameworks—developed collaboratively by governments, the private sector, and specialist civil society organizations—can inform these producers and consumers whether the landscapes that produce food are healthy and whether the food itself is becoming more or less nutritious. The key is to balance healthy and equitable food environments with just and sustainable remuneration of family farmers, fishers, and producers, enabling them to care for both their households and their land and aquatic environments ( Alders et al. 2016 ). To achieve sustainable and equitable food systems, food must be valued not only by its weight or volume, but also by its nutrient density and freedom from biological and chemical contamination.

Conclusion: International Solidarity and Sustainable Values

We are likely to face more shocks and challenges on our way to 2030, even as we work to build a food system that can sustainably support a healthy, food-secure, well-nourished human population with Zero Hunger. The 2020 GHI findings highlight the food insecurity challenges facing low-income countries as they battle multiple crises. Right now, low- and middle-income countries can make progress by including marginalized groups in policy making, working together more effectively at the regional level to increase their negotiating power on the global stage, and ensuring shorter food supply chains within their regions. Both now and moving forward, they can carry out policies and programs that promote the well-being of female and male smallholder farmers and engage communities with agricultural production and food systems that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.

We must not forget, however, that low- and middle-income countries cannot achieve the SDG 2 targets by 2030 without the full engagement of high-income countries. If Zero Hunger and the associated SDG 2 targets are to be met, high-income countries must also be active, positive contributors to dialogue and change. Among other things, they will need to use trade policy tools to create market incentives for sustainable food economies, untie aid and design food assistance to strengthen local and regional food systems, and change how agricultural products and services are valued so that nutrient content and ecosystem services are appropriately integrated into pricing mechanisms. A global transformation to a set of circular economies that feed all people through more sustainable food systems will not be completed by 2030, but by acting together we can achieve Zero Hunger while laying a solid foundation for a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable world.

OVERLAPPING CRISES IN THE GREATER HORN OF AFRICA

Alliance2015.

Many countries face overlapping health, hunger, and eco-nomic crises, but the challenges confronting the Greater Horn of Africa loom especially large. In a region already home to large numbers of people affected by chronic and acute hunger, the COVID-19 pandemic comes on top of a severe locust infestation, ongoing conflict and instability, a series of extreme weather events induced by climate change, and a history of massive forced displacement (see figures below). Measures to contain the pandemic have created negative social and eco-nomic effects, complicated treatment of the locust infestation, and pose an unprecedented challenge to food security and nutrition. If the responses to the diverse challenges are not carefully coordinated, a food crisis will loom large in the region.

Source: Authors, based on IPC (2020), UNHCR (2020b), World Bank (2020e), and Johns Hopkins University and Medicine (2020).

Note: Colors of countries correspond to the GHI Severity Scale .

a People categorized as being in food crisis, emergency, or famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Ethiopia: Feb–June 2020 projection; Kenya: April–July 2020 projection, arid and semi-arid lands; Somalia: as of April–June 2020; South Sudan: May–July 2020 projection; Sudan: as of June–August 2019. b Total number of refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, and internally displaced persons as of June 2020. c For comparison, in 2017 the number of physicians per 100,000 averaged 80 in South Asia and 156.6 for the world as a whole. d As of September 2, 2020.

Hunger is already widespread. For the past two decades, countries in the region have experienced serious , alarming , or extremely alarming GHI levels. In May 2020, more than 25.3 million people in the region faced acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse. More than 11 million of these people live in areas infested by desert locusts, and their number is expected to grow as the locust swarm expands (IPC 2020).

The Horn of Africa commonly experiences severe droughts and floods, and extreme weather has contributed to the region’s worst infestation of desert locusts in decades. For the past nine rainy seasons, farmers and pastoralists in East Africa have experienced either severe flooding or scarce or failed rains, from which they are still recovering. All countries in the region are highly vulnerable to climate change but are ill prepared to deal with its effects (ND GAIN 2020; von Grebmer et al. 2019). As a result of two cyclones in 2018, heavy rains in the Arabian Peninsula generated a massive upsurge of desert locusts, exacerbated by another cyclone in late 2019. The swarms are destroying up to 100 percent of crops and fodder—a massive threat in a region where most of the population relies on agriculture. A swarm measuring one square kilometer can contain up to 80 million adult locusts, with the capacity to consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people (FAO 2020k). As of April 2020, 200,000 hectares of cropland had been damaged and 356,000 metric tons of cereals had been lost in Ethiopia alone (FAO 2020l). Given that swarms can travel up to 150 kilometers a day, the risk is high that the locusts will spread not only across neighboring countries, but across the Indian Ocean to join the swarms already spreading in India and Pakistan (FAO 2020k, n).

Armed conflict, turbulent political transformation, widespread forced displacement, and poor governance have left many countries ill equipped to respond to crises. In Ethiopia and Somalia, a fragile political context and mistrust in the state prevail, and acceptance of COVID-19 containment measures is dwindling. The health and social protection systems in the region are largely unable to treat widespread diseases, such as tuberculosis, let alone respond to COVID-19 (Weber 2020). The region is home to more than 11 million refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, and internally displaced people (UNHCR 2020b). The Dadaab refugee complex, one of the largest such complexes in the world, lies in Eastern Kenya, near neighboring Somalia. In densely populated refugee camps and marginalized urban settlements, inadequate housing conditions and poor water and sanitation make it challenging for people to take preventive measures like hand-washing and physical distancing (Rudloff and Weber 2020).

The COVID-19 pandemic and measures designed to contain it are having severe social and economic effects that are worsening hunger and undernutrition. Like economies in other world regions, the already weak economies in the Greater Horn of Africa are likely to slip into recession. With limited medical capacity, countries in the region have relied heavily on border closures, travel restrictions, and strict lockdowns to flatten the infection curve. These measures, however, have hindered supply chains in the region, disrupting the availability of food in the markets as well as people’s ability to gain access to it. Restrictions have also hampered farmers’ access to agricultural inputs and their ability to cultivate their land (FAO and WFP 2020; IPC 2020). Urban residents who rely on the informal economy have been particularly hard hit, with market closures and restrictions on transport and mobility leaving them unable to generate income, to build up food reserves, or to provide for their families. Even rural populations that rely largely on subsistence farming are affected because they often buy some foods from markets (Rudloff and Weber 2020). Food prices were already high in some countries in the region, and poor harvests due to droughts and floods and COVID-19 countermeasures are aggravating the situation (FAO 2020m). A survey conducted in Addis Ababa in April 2020 showed that many households were already consuming more staple foods and fewer fruits and vegetables because more nutritious and balanced diets were unavailable and unaffordable (Hirvonen, Abate, and de Brauw 2020). Projections already warn that in the region more people could die from the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 than from the virus itself (WFP 2020c).

This complex situation—an already fragile context combined with a severe locust infestation and COVID-19—could lead to a massive humanitarian crisis, and measures to cope with it must be planned holistically. An approach that focuses only on one crisis at a time may inadvertently exacerbate the other crises, which are all interlinked. Cross-border events require multilateral cooperation (such as between governments and with the Regional Desert Locust Alliance, FAO, and OCHA). Because the overlapping crises have different dynamics in urban and rural areas, they require distinct responses, but realities in urban and rural areas also influence each other and must be considered together.

TIMELINE OF NATURAL HAZARDS IN THE GREATER HORN OF AFRICA, 2018–2020

• “Food crisis” here refers to the crisis phase (phase 3), or worse, of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC/CH) (FSIN 2020; IPC Global Partners 2019).  
• See, for example, FAO et al. (2008); One Health Joint European Program (2020); and FAO (2020o).  

• Get involved

THE SDGS IN ACTION.

What are the sustainable development goals.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who're furthest behind. The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls.

The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.

Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. While the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped by more than half between 1990 and 2015, too many are still struggling for the most basic human needs.

As of 2015, about 736 million people still lived on less than US$1.90 a day; many lack food, clean drinking water and sanitation. Rapid growth in countries such as China and India has lifted millions out of poverty, but progress has been uneven. Women are more likely to be poor than men because they have less paid work, education, and own less property.

Progress has also been limited in other regions, such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which account for 80 percent of those living in extreme poverty. New threats brought on by climate change, conflict and food insecurity, mean even more work is needed to bring people out of poverty.

The SDGs are a bold commitment to finish what we started, and end poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. This involves targeting the most vulnerable, increasing basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters.

736 million people still live in extreme poverty.

10 percent of the world’s population live in extreme poverty, down from 36 percent in 1990.

Some 1.3 billion people live in multidimensional poverty.

Half of all people living in poverty are under 18.

One person in every 10 is extremely poor.

Goal targets

• By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
• Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
• By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
• By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
• Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
• Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

SDGs in Action

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Zero hunger.

Zero Hunger

The number of undernourished people has dropped by almost half in the past two decades because of rapid economic growth and increased agricultural productivity. Many developing countries that used to suffer from famine and hunger can now meet their nutritional needs. Central and East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean have all made huge progress in eradicating extreme hunger.

Unfortunately, extreme hunger and malnutrition remain a huge barrier to development in many countries. There are 821 million people estimated to be chronically undernourished as of 2017, often as a direct consequence of environmental degradation, drought and biodiversity loss. Over 90 million children under five are dangerously underweight. Undernourishment and severe food insecurity appear to be increasing in almost all regions of Africa, as well as in South America.

The SDGs aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people–especially children–have sufficient and nutritious food all year. This involves promoting sustainable agricultural, supporting small-scale farmers and equal access to land, technology and markets. It also requires international cooperation to ensure investment in infrastructure and technology to improve agricultural productivity.

The number of undernourished people reached 821 million in 2017.

In 2017 Asia accounted for nearly two thirds, 63 percent, of the world’s hungry.

Nearly 151 million children under five, 22 percent, were still stunted in 2017.

More than 1 in 8 adults is obese.

1 in 3 women of reproductive age is anemic.

26 percent of workers are employed in agriculture.

• By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
• By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
• By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
• By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed
• Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries
• Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
• Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility.

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Good health and well-being.

We have made great progress against several leading causes of death and disease. Life expectancy has increased dramatically; infant and maternal mortality rates have declined, we’ve turned the tide on HIV and malaria deaths have halved.

Good health is essential to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda reflects the complexity and interconnectedness of the two. It takes into account widening economic and social inequalities, rapid urbanization, threats to the climate and the environment, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases, and emerging challenges such as noncommunicable diseases. Universal health coverage will be integral to achieving SDG 3, ending poverty and reducing inequalities. Emerging global health priorities not explicitly included in the SDGs, including antimicrobial resistance, also demand action.

But the world is off-track to achieve the health-related SDGs. Progress has been uneven, both between and within countries. There’s a 31-year gap between the countries with the shortest and longest life expectancies. And while some countries have made impressive gains, national averages hide that many are being left behind. Multisectoral, rights-based and gender-sensitive approaches are essential to address inequalities and to build good health for all.

At least 400 million people have no basic healthcare, and 40 percent lack social protection.

More than 1.6 billion people live in fragile settings where protracted crises, combined with weak national capacity to deliver basic health services, present a significant challenge to global health.

By the end of 2017, 21.7 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Yet more than 15 million people are still waiting for treatment.

Every 2 seconds someone aged 30 to 70 years dies prematurely from noncommunicable diseases - cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes or cancer.

7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air.

More than one of every three women have experienced either physical or sexual violence at some point in their life resulting in both short- and long-term consequences for their physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health.

• By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births
• By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
• By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
• By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
• Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
• By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
• By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes
• Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
• By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
• Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate
• Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
• Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States
• Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks

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Quality education.

Since 2000, there has been enormous progress in achieving the target of universal primary education. The total enrollment rate in developing regions reached 91 percent in 2015, and the worldwide number of children out of school has dropped by almost half. There has also been a dramatic increase in literacy rates, and many more girls are in school than ever before. These are all remarkable successes.

Progress has also been tough in some developing regions due to high levels of poverty, armed conflicts and other emergencies. In Western Asia and North Africa, ongoing armed conflict has seen an increase in the number of children out of school. This is a worrying trend. While Sub-Saharan Africa made the greatest progress in primary school enrollment among all developing regions – from 52 percent in 1990, up to 78 percent in 2012 – large disparities still remain. Children from the poorest households are up to four times more likely to be out of school than those of the richest households. Disparities between rural and urban areas also remain high.

Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030. It also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to a quality higher education.

Enrollment in primary education in developing countries has reached 91 percent.

Still, 57 million primary-aged children remain out of school, more than half of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

In developing countries, one in four girls is not in school.

About half of all out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-affected areas.

103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of them are women.

6 out of 10 children and adolescents are not achieving a minimum level of proficiency in reading and math.

• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education
• By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
• By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
• By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
• By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
• By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
• Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
• By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
• By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states

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Gender equality.

Gender Equality

Ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right, it’s crucial for sustainable future; it’s proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development.

UNDP has made gender equality central to its work and we’ve seen remarkable progress in the past 20 years. There are more girls in school now compared to 15 years ago, and most regions have reached gender parity in primary education.

But although there are more women than ever in the labour market, there are still large inequalities in some regions, with women systematically denied the same work rights as men. Sexual violence and exploitation, the unequal division of unpaid care and domestic work, and discrimination in public office all remain huge barriers. Climate change and disasters continue to have a disproportionate effect on women and children, as do conflict and migration.

It is vital to give women equal rights land and property, sexual and reproductive health, and to technology and the internet. Today there are more women in public office than ever before, but encouraging more women leaders will help achieve greater gender equality.

Women earn only 77 cents for every dollar that men get for the same work.

35 percent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

Women represent just 13 percent of agricultural landholders.

Almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday.

Two thirds of developing countries have achieved gender parity in primary education.

Only 24 percent of national parliamentarians were women as of November 2018, a small increase from 11.3 percent in 1995.

• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
• Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
• Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
• Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
• Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

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Press releases.

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Clean water and sanitation.

Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do. Although 2.1 billion people have improved water sanitation since 1990, dwindling drinking water supplies are affecting every continent.

More and more countries are experiencing water stress, and increasing drought and desertification is already worsening these trends. By 2050, it is projected that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages.

Safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 requires we invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities, and encourage hygiene. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is essential.

Ensuring universal safe and affordable drinking water involves reaching over 800 million people who lack basic services and improving accessibility and safety of services for over two billion.

In 2015, 4.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation services (with adequately disposed or treated excreta) and 2.3 billion lacked even basic sanitation.

71 percent of the global population, 5.2 billion people, had safely-managed drinking water in 2015, but 844 million people still lacked even basic drinking water.

39 percent of the global population, 2.9 billion people, had safe sanitation in 2015, but 2.3 billion people still lacked basic sanitation. 892 million people practiced open defecation.

80 percent of wastewater goes into waterways without adequate treatment.

Water stress affects more than 2 billion people, with this figure projected to increase.

80 percent of countries have laid the foundations for integrated water resources management.

The world has lost 70 percent of its natural wetlands over the last century.

• By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
• By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
• By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
• By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
• By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
• By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
• By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
• Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

Restoring sacred land

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(R)evolution

Affordable and clean energy.

Between 2000 and 2018, the number of people with electricity increased from 78 to 90 percent, and the numbers without electricity dipped to 789 million.

Yet as the population continues to grow, so will the demand for cheap energy, and an economy reliant on fossil fuels is creating drastic changes to our climate.

Investing in solar, wind and thermal power, improving energy productivity, and ensuring energy for all is vital if we are to achieve SDG 7 by 2030.

Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean and more efficient energy in all countries will encourage growth and help the environment.  

One out of 10 people still lacks electricity, and most live in rural areas of the developing world. More than half are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Energy is by far the main contributor to climate change. It accounts for 73 percent of human-caused greenhouse gases.

Energy efficiency is key; the right efficiency policies could enable the world to achieve more than 40 percent of the emissions cuts needed to reach its climate goals without new technology.

Almost a third of the world’s population—2.8 billion—rely on polluting and unhealthy fuels for cooking.

As of 2017, 17.5 percent of power was generated through renewable sources.

The renewable energy sector employed a record 11.5 million people in 2019. The changes needed in energy production and uses to achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting the rise in temperature to below 2C can create 18 million jobs.

• By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
• By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
• By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
• By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
• By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing coun

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The big switch

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Decent work and economic growth.

Over the past 25 years the number of workers living in extreme poverty has declined dramatically, despite the lasting impact of the 2008 economic crisis and global recession. In developing countries, the middle class now makes up more than 34 percent of total employment – a number that has almost tripled between 1991 and 2015.

However, as the global economy continues to recover we are seeing slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015.

The SDGs promote sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation. Encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation are key to this, as are effective measures to eradicate forced labour, slavery and human trafficking. With these targets in mind, the goal is to achieve full and productive employment, and decent work, for all women and men by 2030.

An estimated 172 million people worldwide were without work in 2018 - an unemployment rate of 5 percent.

As a result of an expanding labour force, the number of unemployed is projected to increase by 1 million every year and reach 174 million by 2020.

Some 700 million workers lived in extreme or moderate poverty in 2018, with less than US$3.20 per day.

Women’s participation in the labour force stood at 48 per cent in 2018, compared with 75 percent for men. Around 3 in 5 of the 3.5 billion people in the labour force in 2018 were men.

Overall, 2 billion workers were in informal employment in 2016, accounting for 61 per cent of the world’s workforce.

Many more women than men are underutilized in the labour force—85 million compared to 55 million.

• Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
• Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
• Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
• Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
• By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
• By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
• Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
• Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
• By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
• Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
• Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries
• By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization

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Industry, innovation and infrastructure.

Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies.

Technological progress is also key to finding lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges, such as providing new jobs and promoting energy efficiency. Promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation, are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.

More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and 90 percent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, as well as foster innovation and entrepreneurship.   

Worldwide, 2.3 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.

In some low-income African countries, infrastructure constraints cut businesses’ productivity by around 40 percent.

2.6 billion people in developing countries do not have access to constant electricity.

More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet; 90 percent of them are in the developing world.

The renewable energy sectors currently employ more than 2.3 million people; the number could reach 20 million by 2030.

In developing countries, barely 30 percent of agricultural products undergo industrial processing, compared to 98 percent high-income countries.

• Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
• Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
• Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
• By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
• Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
• Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States 18
• Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities
• Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020

Digital generation

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Reduced inequalities.

Income inequality is on the rise—the richest 10 percent have up to 40 percent of global income whereas the poorest 10 percent earn only between 2 to 7 percent. If we take into account population growth inequality in developing countries, inequality has increased by 11 percent.

Income inequality has increased in nearly everywhere in recent decades, but at different speeds. It’s lowest in Europe and highest in the Middle East.

These widening disparities require sound policies to empower lower income earners, and promote economic inclusion of all regardless of sex, race or ethnicity.

Income inequality requires global solutions. This involves improving the regulation and monitoring of financial markets and institutions, encouraging development assistance and foreign direct investment to regions where the need is greatest. Facilitating the safe migration and mobility of people is also key to bridging the widening divide.

In 2016, 22 percent of global income was received by the top 1 percent compared with 10 percent of income for the bottom 50 percent.

In 1980, the top one percent had 16 percent of global income. The bottom 50 percent had 8 percent of income.

Economic inequality is largely driven by the unequal ownership of capital. Since 1980, very large transfers of public to private wealth occurred in nearly all countries. The global wealth share of the top 1 percent was 33 percent in 2016.

Under "business as usual", the top 1 percent global wealth will reach 39 percent by 2050.

Women spend, on average, twice as much time on unpaid housework as men.

Women have as much access to financial services as men in just 60 percent of the countries assessed and to land ownership in just 42 percent of the countries assessed.

• By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
• By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
• Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
• Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
• Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations
• Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
• Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
• Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
• Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes
• By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent

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Sustainable cities and communities.

More than half of us  live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.

The rapid growth of cities—a result of rising populations and increasing migration—has led to a boom in mega-cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are becoming a more significant feature of urban life.

Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

In 2018, 4.2 billion people, 55 percent of the world’s population, lived in cities. By 2050, the urban population is expected to reach 6.5 billion.

Cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land but account for 60 to 80 percent of energy consumption and at least 70 percent of carbon emissions.

828 million people are estimated to live in slums, and the number is rising.

In 1990, there were 10 cities with 10 million people or more; by 2014, the number of mega-cities rose to 28, and was expected to reach 33 by 2018. In the future, 9 out of 10 mega-cities will be in the developing world.

In the coming decades, 90 percent of urban expansion will be in the developing world.

The economic role of cities is significant. They generate about 80 percent of the global GDP.

• By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
• By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
• By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
• Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
• By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
• By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
• By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
• Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
• By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
• Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

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Responsible consumption and production.

Achieving economic growth and sustainable development requires that we urgently reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. Agriculture is the biggest user of water worldwide, and irrigation now claims close to 70 percent of all freshwater for human use.

The efficient management of our shared natural resources, and the way we dispose of toxic waste and pollutants, are important targets to achieve this goal. Encouraging industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste is equally important, as is supporting developing countries to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption by 2030.

A large share of the world population is still consuming far too little to meet even their basic needs.  Halving the per capita of global food waste at the retailer and consumer levels is also important for creating more efficient production and supply chains. This can help with food security, and shift us towards a more resource efficient economy.

1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 2 billion people go hungry or undernourished.

The food sector accounts for around 22 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, largely from the conversion of forests into farmland.

Globally, 2 billion people are overweight or obese.

Only 3 percent of the world’s water is fresh (drinkable), and humans are using it faster than nature can replenish it.

If people everywhere switched to energy efficient lightbulbs, the world would save US$120 billion annually.

One-fifth of the world’s final energy consumption in 2013 was from renewable sources.

• Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
• By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
• By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
• By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
• By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
• Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
• Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
• By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
• Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
• Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
• Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

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Popping the bottle

Popping the bottle, climate action.

There is no country that is not experiencing the drastic effects of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than in 1990. Global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system, which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act.

The annual average economic losses from climate-related disasters are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This is not to mention the human impact of geo-physical disasters, which are 91 percent climate-related, and which between 1998 and 2017 killed 1.3 million people, and left 4.4 billion injured. The goal aims to mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries to both adapt to climate change and invest in low-carbon development.

Supporting vulnerable regions will directly contribute not only to Goal 13 but also to the other SDGs. These actions must also go hand in hand with efforts to integrate disaster risk measures, sustainable natural resource management, and human security into national development strategies. It is still possible, with strong political will, increased investment, and using existing technology, to limit the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aiming at 1.5 ° C, but this requires urgent and ambitious collective action.

As of 2017 humans are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels.

Sea levels have risen by about 20 cm (8 inches) since 1880 and are projected to rise another 30–122 cm (1 to 4 feet) by 2100.

To limit warming to 1.5C, global net CO2 emissions must drop by 45% between 2010 and 2030, and reach net zero around 2050.

Climate pledges under The Paris Agreement cover only one third of the emissions reductions needed to keep the world below 2°C.

Bold climate action could trigger at least US$26 trillion in economic benefits by 2030.

The energy sector alone will create around 18 million more jobs by 2030, focused specifically on sustainable energy.

• Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
• Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
• Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
• Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
• Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities

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Life below water.

The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. How we manage this vital resource is essential for humanity as a whole, and to counterbalance the effects of climate change.

Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today we are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.

Oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, and we are seeing a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution, an overwhelming majority of which comes from land-based sources, is reaching alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be found on every square kilometre of ocean.

The SDGs aim to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification. Enhancing conservation and the sustainable use of ocean-based resources through international law will also help mitigate some of the challenges facing our oceans.

The ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface and represents 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume.

The ocean contains nearly 200,000 identified species, but actual numbers may lie in the millions.

As much as 40 percent of the ocean is heavily affected by pollution, depleted fisheries, loss of coastal habitats and other human activities.

The ocean absorbs about 30 percent of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.

More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.

The market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at US$3 trillion per year, about 5 percent of global GDP.

• By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
• By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
• Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
• By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
• By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
• By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
• By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
• Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
• Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
• Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want

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Life on land.

Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resources. Forests cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, provide vital habitats for millions of species, and important sources for clean air and water, as well as being crucial for combating climate change.

Every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, disproportionately affecting poor communities.

While 15 percent of land is protected, biodiversity is still at risk. Nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants have been illegally traded. Wildlife trafficking not only erodes biodiversity, but creates insecurity, fuels conflict, and feeds corruption.

Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and peace and security.

Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods.

Forests are home to more than 80 percent of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.

2.6 billion people depend directly on agriculture for a living.

Nature-based climate solutions can contribute about a third of CO2 reductions by 2030.

The value of ecosystems to human livelihoods and well-being is $US125 trillion per year.v

Mountain regions provide 60-80 percent of the Earth's fresh water.

• By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
• By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
• By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
• By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
• Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
• Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed
• Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products
• By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
• By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts
• Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems
• Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
• Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

Peace, justice and strong institutions

We cannot hope for sustainable development without peace, stability, human rights and effective governance, based on the rule of law. Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. This is not inevitable and must be addressed.

Armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development, affecting economic growth, and often resulting in grievances that last for generations. Sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are also prevalent where there is conflict, or no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk

The SDGs aim to significantly reduce all forms of violence, and work with governments and communities to end conflict and insecurity. Promoting the rule of law and human rights are key to this process, as is reducing the flow of illicit arms and strengthening the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.

By the end of 2017, 68.5 million people had been forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations.

There are at least 10 million stateless people who have been denied nationality and its related rights.

Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost developing countries US$1.26 trillion per year.

49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence.

In 46 countries, women now hold more than 30 percent of seats in at least one chamber of national parliament.

1 billion people are legally ‘invisible’ because they cannot prove who they are. This includes an estimated 625 million children under 14 whose births were never registered.

• Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
• End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
• Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all
• By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime
• Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
• Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
• Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
• Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
• By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration
• Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements
• Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime
• Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

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Partnerships for the goals.

The SDGs can only be realized with strong global partnerships and cooperation. Official Development Assistance remained steady but below target, at US$147 billion in 2017. While humanitarian crises brought on by conflict or natural disasters continue to demand more financial resources and aid. Many countries also require Official Development Assistance to encourage growth and trade.

The world is more interconnected than ever. Improving access to technology and knowledge is an important way to share ideas and foster innovation. Coordinating policies to help developing countries manage their debt, as well as promoting investment for the least developed, is vital for sustainable growth and development.

The goals aim to enhance North-South and South-South cooperation by supporting national plans to achieve all the targets. Promoting international trade, and helping developing countries increase their exports is all part of achieving a universal rules-based and equitable trading system that is fair and open and benefits all.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says achieving SDGs will require US$5 trillion to $7 trillion in annual investment.

Total official development assistance reached US$147.2 billion in 2017.

In 2017, international remittances totaled US$613 billion; 76 percent of it went to developing countries.

In 2016, 6 countries met the international target to keep official development assistance at or above 0.7 percent of gross national income.

Sustainable and responsible investments represent high-potential sources of capital for SDGs. As of 2016, US$18.2 trillion was invested in this asset class.

The bond market for sustainable business is growing. In 2018 global green bonds reached US$155.5billion, up 78 percent from previous year.

• Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
• Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
• Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
• Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
• Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries  
• Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
• Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
• Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology  

Capacity building

• Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation  
• Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
• Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
• Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access  

Systemic issues

Policy and institutional coherence

• Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
• Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
• Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development  

Multi-stakeholder partnerships

• Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
• Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships  

Data, monitoring and accountability

• By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
• By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

Sustainable Development Goals Integration

• Open access
• Published: 01 April 2024

Zero hunger: future challenges and the way forward towards the achievement of sustainable development goal 2

• Fabio Sporchia 1 , 2 ,
• Marta Antonelli 3 , 4 ,
• Alicia Aguilar-Martínez 5 ,
• Anna Bach-Faig 5 ,
• Dario Caro 1 ,
• Kyle F. Davis 6 ,
• Roberta Sonnino 7 &
• Alessandro Galli 4  

Sustainable Earth Reviews volume  7 , Article number:  10 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Since 2020, the progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2– Zero Hunger has faced a sudden stall due to an ongoing “polycrisis”. While some countries are on track, a great effort is still globally necessary to achieve the SDG2 targets. Here we provide a brief background about SDG2, including its synergies and trade-offs with other SDGs. We then identify and discuss the main challenges that the pathway towards zero hunger will have to tackle. The lack of a systemic approach, together with the complex, global, and nested dimensions of food systems are identified as key elements to be carefully considered when designing sustainability strategies. This means that a variety of stakeholders are called to simultaneously and cooperatively act on multiple fronts to ensure a safe, equal, and just progress of all countries and populations towards the achievement of SDG2.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2– Zero Hunger– consists of eight targets aiming to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” [ 1 ]. The first five targets (2.1–2.5) focus on food security, nutrition, and agricultural practices, while the last three focus on financial and market aspects to support the achievement of those targets (2.A-2.C).

As a result of major global events (e.g., the COVID-19 outbreak and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict), most of the global progress in achieving SDG2 has receded back to levels dating around 2015. Although improvements have been made in a few cases, most countries are off-track to meet the targets by 2030 [ 2 ]. For instance, the global trend in the prevalence of undernourishment (target 2.1.1) reverted to levels of 2009–2010 during 2020 [ 3 ], as a result of the various food systems shocks triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The levels of childhood stunting (target 2.2.1) stagnated after 2020, interrupting the previous positive trend. Similarly, the decreasing trend in wasting prevalence turned into stagnation, and the prevalence in overweight even slightly increased (target 2.2.2) [ 4 ]. Moreover, despite progress in public spending on agriculture, the recent polycrisis has resulted in high food and fertilizer prices, limiting the expected income gains for populations living off agriculture [ 2 ]. From a market perspective, substantial progress on meeting target 2.B.1, which aims to eradicate agricultural export subsidies, has been achieved [ 3 ]. Nevertheless, food price anomalies (indicator 2.C.1) are still quite diffused across countries.

The 17 SDGs and their relative targets are designed to be strongly interconnected which means that there may be trade-offs or synergies between them [ 5 , 6 ]. The presence of these interlinkages, together with the global dimension of food systems, explains the repercussions that global events had, have, and will continue to have on the achievement of SDG2 targets. For instance, although agricultural activities were exempted from the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in the functioning and effectiveness of global food supply chains inevitably occurred during those years, with consequences on food security and nutrition [ 7 ]. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has exposed the sensitivity of global food systems, and food and nutrition security objectives, to geopolitical events, which impact countries regardless of their physical proximity to them [ 8 ]. Finally, climate change is also projected to hamper the achievement of SDG2 [ 9 ], and might have already done so. Some attribute to climate dynamics the increase in the percentage of undernourished people that occurred (after a period of positive trends between 2018 and 2019), when the absolute number of undernourished people in the world (since 2014) also increased [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Looking ahead, this situation will possibly continue to worsen, since the three recent drivers of disruption (major global health threats, geopolitical conflicts, and climate-induced environmental degradation) are themselves interconnected [ 13 ]. The cumulative effects of conflict, climate unpredictability and extreme weather events, have already produced resource degradation, economic hardship, and social and political instability, which have in turned exacerbated situations of chronic hunger, acute food insecurity, and malnutrition [ 14 ].

In sum, the challenges currently faced by the global food system are characterized by synergies, trade-offs, and feedback mechanisms [ 15 ]. Future challenges that will affect the achievement of SDG2 in the 7 years left to 2030 are likely to be complex. To engage with this complexity, in this debate paper we have adopted a systemic lens to the analysis of data collected through a review of recent literature and informal interviews with professionals with diverse food-related areas of expertise. Our analysis has identified four main challenges that– in our opinion– the pathway towards Zero Hunger will have to tackle.

Global causes, effects, and governance

Food systems will be severely affected by the consequences of the multiple global environmental impacts they continue to produce [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Climate crisis and shocks, in particular, will have direct negative consequences on food prices, food insecurity, and malnutrition through various direct and indirect pathways and feedback mechanisms. Indeed, the increasing climate unpredictability is altering planting patterns, amplifying the prevalence of pest and disease outbreaks, exacerbating the pressure on already scarce natural resources, and fostering local conflicts and migration patterns that detrimentally affect food security and nutrition [ 12 ]. The existence of Most Affected People and Areas (MAPAs) raises the need for a global recognition of the underlying past and present responsibilities and for a shared and active engagement with the drivers of both current and expected negative impacts. A global, target-oriented and evidence-based governance framework is urgently needed to avoid the persistence and worsening of the environmental, social, and economic injustice that continue to affect food security of populations across the globe [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. In this sense, it is remarkable that inter-governmental action is lagging behind the sub-national actions undertaken by local governments, stressing the unacceptable lack of willingness of national bodies to acknowledge the urgency of global action [ 22 , 23 ]. To address this gap, it is vital to reinforce the science-policy-society interface, ensuring that policies are backed by sustainability assessments that are multidisciplinary (encompassing environmental, social and economic domains), comprehensive (covering cradle-to-grave systems), integrated (focused on the whole diet instead of single foods) and with a special attention for nutritional and health aspects [ 23 ]. While there is a clear attention for the evaluation of policy readiness towards SDG2, existing assessments are fragmented across specific areas [ 24 , 25 ] and are oriented towards domestic policies. The lack of a global integrated assessment of the policy readiness towards SDG2 is a key gap, that will have to be filled out in the next few years. The urgency to acknowledge the relevance of food systems at the intergovernmental level, and the need to elevate its governance at the global scale were clearly stated in a letter addressed to the COP 28 (Conference of the Parties) and signed by 80 organizations and individuals Footnote 1 , which luckily resulted in the inclusion– for the first-time– of food-related actions in the final stocktaking decision text Footnote 2 . Only by thoroughly engaging with the global dimension of food systems it will be possible to design effective policies to sustainably accelerate the progress towards the achievement of SDG2.

Supply chains: inequality, power imbalances, and conflict

The global dimensions of food systems’ challenges raises the need for the adoption of a broad systemic approach that accounts for all components that connect food production with food security, nutrition, and human health. Developing frameworks that can reliably model and predict the place-based connections between food production and nutrition– and that account for such deep diversity and complexity– can be a monumental step towards achieving SDG2 [ 17 ].

Food consumption is generally linked to food production via supply chains, which can be short (e.g., subsistence-oriented), or, more often, long (e.g., global food trade) [ 26 ]. This imposes the urgent need to consider the whole supply chain when evaluating the sustainability of food systems [ 27 ], which should be transparent and explicitly highlight the role of international trade as a driver of negative environmental, social, or economic impact [ 28 ]. Through international trade, globalization ensures the availability of food items that would otherwise be only seasonally available. While this might meet consumer desires, the supply of off-season foods often comes with higher environmental and economic costs, which are mostly beared on regions that produce food for export [ 29 ]. The bridge between production and consumption (the missing middle) has already been identified as a critical entry point for policies oriented towards SDG2 [ 30 ].

However, the structure of global supply chains is often shaped by large (multinational) companies, which impose a monopoly dictated by the objective of maximizing their profit by taking advantage of the critical socio-economic situation of countries that have availability of natural resources, cheap labor, and relaxed regulation. This power imbalance, fueled by capitalism and globalization, risks to perpetuate existing inequalities, especially within supply chains of cash crops extensively demanded (though not supplied) by the Global North [ 29 ]. Pursuing profit means pursuing cheap primary inputs, such as labor and natural resources, which are often in the hands of a few powerful food system actors. The concentration of resources across the globe is often the cause of conflicts, which disrupt the environmental and socio-economic context of the regions involved, displacing small-scale family farms that, in many areas of the world, play a key role in terms of food security [ 31 , 32 ]. A key feature of the global capitalist food economy is the widespread tendency to disregard the real costs of food (i.e., the negative externalities associated with its production) in the market price. Such tendency has supported the diffusion of cheap, unhealthy, and ultra-processed foods, with negative socio-economic consequences even in wealthy countries [ 33 ]. Climatic and environmental policies are striving to incentivize the production of nutrient-dense crops that support a healthy diet. However, trade-offs are common and have the potential to seriously undermine the cost of healthy eating. The relative costs of nutrient-dense foods and foods with high energy density and low nutritional value could be significantly changed by internalizing those costs through pricing (such as carbon taxes or cap and trade systems); practically, however, financial measures are difficult to implement and may require global agreements [ 34 ].

Food production: farming practices, assessment methods, and data

Current farming practices and orientation are not sustainable. The use of more sustainable practices (such as organic farming) should be prioritized, and intensive farming (along with feed-food competition) should be restricted [ 35 ]. In terms of scope, SDG2 is mostly focused on cultivation, while livestock farming, pastoralism, fisheries and aquaculture are given marginal attention– also by other SDGs [ 36 ]. These food production activities urgently need attention given their multi-dimensional role as generators of resources (e.g., feed-food competition) but also as sources of income and nutrition (i.e., of food security). This implies, amongst other things, the implementation of a much larger effort in terms of data collection as well as the use of more robust methodologies. The latter should adopt a multi-scalar approach to complement on field-level surveys (the most common practice) with higher-level assessments that move beyond the mere consideration of the environmental burden [ 37 , 38 ].

Farming (including fishing and aquaculture) is the first step in the food supply chain. It is the activity most exposed to environmental disruptions, and the one that generates the greatest environmental impact– especially on climate dynamics. Farming practices matter not just in terms of how crops and livestock are produced and where. Detailed, item-specific and spatially disaggregated data on food production are often insufficient, outdated, and fragmented [ 39 ]. This severely constrains the ability of countries to quantify the current state of food production and prevents the implementation of evidence-based and targeted agricultural interventions that could improve food systems sustainability across multiple dimensions [ 40 , 41 ].

Place-based datasets would be a much-needed complement for the large variety of data collected on global food systems; their integration would indeed support the prioritization of actions on impactful leverage points associated with the use of agricultural inputs (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorous), as well as outputs (e.g., pollutant emissions). Finally, actions to measure, monitor and prevent food loss and waste are extremely valuable and need to deal with each stage of the supply chain: from product design (e.g., size and shelf life), processing (e.g., favoring less processed foods), and packaging (e.g., preferring materials that are easily up-cyclable), up to the provision to consumers of crystal clear instructions on the best food preservation practices.

Consumption: dietary patterns, shifts, and novel food

As the global population continues to increase, the need for sustainable production practices will become even more imperative. In quantitative terms, population growth translates into increased demand, which will not be met without changes in lifestyles and related dietary habits. These two key drivers are bound to clash with the shrinking resources of an overexploited, warming planet, where land and water availability continue to shrink– primarily due to unsustainable farming practices and climate change– and where rural out-migration is drastically decreasing the labor-force available in the fields [ 42 ]. A systemic approach to sustainable food systems must encompass strategies that address both demographic shifts and the multiple challenges posed by a changing climate and embracing the interconnected nature of the two phenomena. Dietary patterns are placing a substantial strain on natural resources and causing environmental burden that goes beyond the local boundaries [ 26 ]. More sustainable (and widely available) food alternatives (e.g., novel food such as edible insects, cultured meat, and algae, which have not yet been subjected to an adequate number of sustainability assessments) [ 43 , 44 ] are under-utilised, given the widespread tendency in the Global North to refrain from designing consumption-side solutions in favor of actions that rarely go beyond simple guidelines or recommendations. An interesting exemplary exception is the case of Denmark, which introduced the shift to a plant-based diet as an action not only to achieve climate goals, but also to generate socio-economic benefits [ 45 ]. This kind of effort confirms Kearney [ 46 ]’s hypothesis that in high-income countries– which have in the past transitioned towards heavy meat consumption– wealthier and highly educated residents (primarily located in urban areas) are shifting to diets reduced in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables. Conversely, low- and middle-income countries are abandoning a starchy low-fat diet with limited variety moving towards energy dense diets that are rich in sugar and fat and are based on the consumption of a higher variety of food items [ 46 , 47 ]– including animal-based (e.g., meat, fish and seafood) and sugar-rich products which place additional strain on land and water use and cause increased GHG emissions [ 46 , 47 , 48 ]. Policy makers should begin to engage with current food consumption issues, for instance by pushing towards the adoption of dietary patterns proven to be more sustainable, as proposed by the One Health approach [ 49 ]. At a bare minimum, action in this sense should be directed towards the promotion of local, seasonal, and more nutrient-rich foods (quality vs. quantity). This kind of actions are unlikely to have long-term effects unless they are coupled with a radical reform of the amount and quality of information provided to consumers (e.g., food marketing). A re-orientation of consumption patterns towards sustainability entails the designing of a standardized and comprehensive labeling system, providing nutritional information (i.e., about the quality of nutrients) alongside information on the environmental [ 50 ] and socio-economic costs of the whole supply chain. School meals could play a vital role in the dissemination of information about sustainable diets to young generations, while at the same time representing an important market for more sustainable food products (e.g., plant-based options).

Conclusions

Returning to the challenges identified above, we draw the following recommendations for the achievement of SDG2:

Global causes, effects and governance

Drawing on the conclusions reached at COP28, creating a global multi-scale governance framework is required to ensure collective surveillance, coordination and cooperation, with particular attention for the actors and areas that are, and will be, most vulnerable to climate shocks and related price shocks. This could be achieved– for instance– by strengthening the resources and scaling-up the remit and ambitions of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

Confining of strategic intervention at either the supply or the demand side of food chains is clearly not working. A comprehensive mapping of food supply chains is necessary and can be achieved through multidimensional life-cycle sustainability evaluations covering all dimensions of the food system, from production to consumption. The standardized mapping of environmental, social, and economic information, especially with regard to international supply chains, is also necessary to progress towards a more systemic approach to food issues.

National governments should push towards more sustainable farming practices (such as organic farming) while strengthening assessment and data collection methods that would support place-based interventions. This can prevent the proliferation of profit-driven (especially when export-oriented) practices that disregard food security and the conservation of natural resources in local communities. Waste and loss prevention should be prioritized, especially for long supply chains and packaged foods.

National governments must intervene on food consumption and move beyond the sole (ineffective) redaction of guidelines. An immediate strategy to contribute to shaping new and healthier dietary patterns could involve public procurement (e.g., targeted intervention on school meals). Even though it is difficult to set limits on the consumption of high impact (social and environmental) food items, a standardized, clear, and transparent labeling scheme should be implemented to stimulate more sustainable consumption patterns.

Overall, transversal remarks

The imposition of radical changes within food systems must ensure that the effort and consequent burdening is fairly shared among all actors involved. The required measures must be implemented gradually and all stakeholders within the most affected sectors (e.g., farmers, and especially livestock farmers) must be safeguarded by targeted social safety nets, such as temporary subsidies, while ensuring (or maintaining) fair wages and decent working conditions Footnote 3 . These important but still neglected issues should be placed on the agenda of global processes and organizations such as the CFS as well as incorporated in national roundtable discussions. More generally, it is time to turn emerging systemic initiatives, visions, and strategies into concrete and tangible policies. For instance, this is the case for the EU Farm-To-Fork Strategy Footnote 4 which still lacks a legislative framework (originally due by 2023). Similarly, there is an urgent need to put into practice the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 Footnote 5 through the designing of dedicated policies, which should be supported by an enabling legislative context– e.g., the not yet approved Nature Restoration Law Footnote 6 .

Effectively implementing the Zero Hunger ambition of SDG2 by 2030 urgently requires a combination of long-term, concerted efforts by multiple actors (e.g., producers, consumers and policy makers), which can trigger systemic behavioral changes at both individual and societal, collective level. The 2030 time horizon is not just a politically set deadline, but also the time-frame beyond which the destabilization of multiple Earth System processes might become irreversible [ 51 ].

Data availability

Not applicable.

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https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2023_L17_adv.pdf .

See for instance the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers ( https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=326&langId=en ).

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Abbreviations

Sustainable Development Goal

Most Affected People and Areas

Conference of the Parties

Committee on World Food Security

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to Adrian Mueller (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL), Sara Moreno Pires (University of Aveiro), and Shauna Downs (The State University of New Jersey) for their remarkable suggestions that greatly improved the quality of this work. This paper and related research have been conducted during and with the support of the Italian national inter-university PhD course in Sustainable Development and Climate change.

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F.S., A.G., and M.A. contributed to the design of the work, F.S., A.G., M.A., K.D., A.B.F., A.A.M., and D.C., prepared the original draft, F.S., A.G., M.A., R.S., A.B.F., A.A.M., and D.C. revised and edited the manuscript.

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Sporchia, F., Antonelli, M., Aguilar-Martínez, A. et al. Zero hunger: future challenges and the way forward towards the achievement of sustainable development goal 2. Sustain Earth Reviews 7 , 10 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-024-00078-7

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9 World hunger solutions to get us to 2030

Apr 25, 2022

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The global hunger crisis has only gotten larger since COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean we can’t solve it.

A combination of conflict, the climate crisis, and the ripple effects of COVID-19 have left the world losing progress in the fight for Zero Hunger . But that doesn't mean that all hope is lost. Some are relatively simple, short-term solutions. Others are more complex, requiring lasting change and commitment at the international level. But it's a cause worth fighting for. Here are nine world hunger solutions that are guiding Concern's work in 25 countries around the globe.

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1. embrace climate smart agriculture.

Climate change and hunger exist in a vicious cycle. More frequent and longer-lasting periods of extreme temperatures, flood events, and dry spells leave many families — especially those who work in agriculture — unable to put food on the table. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is a broad term that encompasses a number of practices. But all of these solutions allow farmers to adapt and become more resilient against an unpredictable climate.

These practices include diversifying crop varieties, conservation agriculture, and low-water sack gardens. Time and again, we’ve seen families benefit both nutritionally and financially from these solutions.

Fighting hunger in Ethiopia — the Irish way

The humble Irish potato is fighting climate change and transforming lives in the Ethiopian highlands.

2. Respond to the refugee crisis

Forced migration is a key cause of hunger, and we are currently in the middle of an unprecedented global refugee crisis . This is also true for other forms of displacement. Refugees and IDPs are some of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to hunger. So are their host communities , whose resources are often very thinly spread.

Much of the work to stop conflict needs to take place on a government and policy level, but one way Concern can help is through programs that facilitate new ways to generate income. For example, Syrian refugee women and their Lebanese neighbors have learned to make staples like cheese and yogurt, as well as how to sell them at market for a profit. For those who wish to return home to Syria , this will also be an essential skill to have when the country eventually rebuilds its infrastructure.

3. Advocate for gender equality

Gender equality is another key solution to world hunger, especially in two key areas: agriculture and maternal and child health .

Women make up approximately half of the agricultural workforce in many of the countries where Concern works, and data from the Food and Agriculture Organization suggest that giving female farmers equal access to resources as their male counterparts could increase production on their farms by 20-30%. This could in turn reduce the number of hungry people in the world by up to 150 million.

Hunger affects maternal health , making female nutrition essential to ending hunger. According to the World Food Programme, women are more likely than men to go hungry in nearly two-thirds of the world’s countries. By prioritizing women’s health and nutrition, we can prevent not only health complications for them if and when they have children, but also for the children they bear. This begins with puberty and continues through pregnancy, breastfeeding, and on through healthy habits that children can maintain for the rest of their lives.

4. Reduce food waste

Currently, one-third of all food produced is wasted — that's over 1.3 billion tons. Producing this wasted food also wastes other natural resources. It requires an amount of water equal to the annual flow of Russia’s Volga River, and creates 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gases.

Ending food waste would be a radical shift, but it’s one that you can be a part of by simply reducing your own food waste. It’s especially important in countries like the United States (which contribute more to climate change but feel the effects less than more vulnerable countries) to take these steps towards climate justice . You can also ask your representatives to commit to policies that reduce waste and better the whole food system .

5. Invest in disaster risk reduction

Investing in disaster risk reduction — especially in vulnerable communities — mitigates potential losses in the wake of disasters for those who stand to lose the most. Most of the people with whom we work are involved in subsistence agriculture, meaning that they grow what they eat. For many, their harvests are never enough, and the prospect of losing what they do grow is the very definition of disaster. Simple techniques to protect and diversify crops can be very effective. Protecting the homestead and livestock is important too; losing vital shelter and assets can quickly lead to hunger.

6. Support hygiene and sanitation

Sometimes, people (especially children) eat enough. But if they live in an area with insufficient sanitation or poor hygiene practices, they may be susceptible to diarrhea or other waterborne illnesses that prevent them from absorbing those nutrients. Making sure that drinking and washing water are uncontaminated can save a life — in more ways than one.

7. Control infestations and crop infections

It's not just drought and flood that we have to worry about. Crops may also be decimated by pest or fungus invasions. When we entered this decade, eastern Africa (including Kenya , Ethiopia , Somalia , and South Sudan ) faced an unprecedented locust crisis , the effects of which are still being felt. Some locust swarms were as large as 25 miles in diameter and moved on to invade central Africa and even parts of West Asia including Yemen, Iraq , and Iran. Over 13 million people were estimated to have gone hungry as a result.

In these extreme cases, aerial spray is the only way to effectively curb swarms. But other agricultural practices can confront smaller-scale invasions or deadly funguses that can also destroy crops and raise food prices. Disaster preparedness goes a long way here, too, as cash transfers , new seeds, and supplies can offset these losses.

8. Enhance crops with biofortification

With limited resources (including land, labor, and finances), the poorest farmers tend to focus on growing a limited number of crops such as maize , rice, pearl millet, beans, and sweet potatoes. This means that they often lose out on food rich in micronutrients like Vitamin A and iron. This can lead to significant micronutrient deficiencies that can leave lifelong impacts on young children.

Though Concern works with farming communities and households to diversify their crop production, we also promote the use of biofortified crops, including iron-enriched beans and pearl millet, as well as sweet potatoes (which are higher in Vitamin A). All of the biofortified crops that Concern promotes are the result of conventional breeding in the countries where they are being promoted. These crops allow families to greatly increase their intake of those critical micronutrients in the short-term. They can also be saved by farmers for subsequent replanting without loss of the biofortified traits.

9. Improving Food Storage Systems

What if you have plenty of food, but lack the storage solutions to make it last? This is another problem that, when solved, can make a big difference in closing the hunger gap. Sometimes this requires big interventions, like building or rehabilitating grain stores. Other times, this is a change that can happen at the household level.

One innovation Concern has introduced into women’s self-help groups around the world are solar dryers. Sun-drying vegetables, a traditional practice, preserves micronutrients and prolongs shelf lives. Solar dryers, which operate by (you guessed it) exposure to sunlight are eco-friendly devices that accelerate this process, while also reducing contamination and minimizing nutrient loss.

How to solve world hunger: Concern's approach

The majority of people Concern works with are involved in some way with farming and food production. Many of these communities are also on the frontlines of climate change. We work with rural communities to promote Climate Smart Agriculture, an approach that helps families adapt to better crops, growing techniques, and soil improvement practices in response to the changing — and often unpredictable — environment. We also work to strengthen links with the private sector to facilitate access to supplies and equipment.

We combine this with our award-winning and standard-setting program, Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) , which has saved millions of lives over the past 20 years. We’ve continued to work with partners and communities to find more tailored approaches to community-based treatment of childhood malnutrition, which has led to CMAM Surge: a way of proactively responding to malnutrition during seasonal “surge” periods throughout the year. Two CMAM Surge pilot tests in Kenya in 2012 saw that the model managed peaks, without undermining other health and nutrition efforts.

Supporting Concern means that $0.93 of every dollar donated goes to our life-saving work in 25 countries around the world. Last year, we were able to reach over 11.4 million people with our health and nutrition initiatives.

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No poverty, zero hunger and reduced inequalities: Why do these Sustainable Development Goals matter to us?

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People worldwide have witnessed the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: massive loss of life, deep economic recession, and disrupted social lives. The disastrous experience reminds us of the inseparable fates of the humanity. In order to overcome this pandemic and other global crises, as global citizens, we must act in unity, sooner rather than later. Other global crises such as poverty and hunger, extreme climate, as well as war and conflicts are also influencing the life-and-death situations of millions of people worldwide. Extreme climate has brought droughts, floods, and typhoons, which have intensified poverty, hunger, and health problems over the globe. Wars and conflicts not only create injuries and deaths, but also disperse people to be migrants and refugees. Global citizens need to participate in solidarity action for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to competently uproot these global challenges. This essay examines why goals, 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger) and 10 (reduced inequalities) matter to us and the importance of fixing these global problems for a better more united world.

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GOAL 2: Zero hunger

Learn more about SDG 2

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

Nature provides direct sources of food and a series of ecosystem services (e.g. pollination, soil formation, nutrient cycling, and water regulation) supporting agricultural activities and contributing to food security and nutrition.

Increasing world population and changes in consumption patterns put pressure on the environment creating the need to produce food for an additional two billion people by 2030, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base upon which the well-being of present and future generations depends. This is important considering that unsustainable expansion of agriculture has created serious environmental problems such as soil erosion, water pollution through agrochemicals, and emission of greenhouse gases.

Climate change and `natural` disasters such as droughts, landslides and floods greatly affect food security. Disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and mitigation are key to increase harvests quality and quantity.

Targets linked to the environment:

• Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
• Target 2.5: By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.

Related Sustainable Development Goals

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World Hunger: Causes and Solutions Essay (Critical Writing)

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Although World Hunger may seem to be completely solved for the majority of people in developed countries, it is not entirely true. Diverse issues concerning this global problem can be considered urgent or damaging for some nations or even continents. For example, despite the presence of several developing and industrial countries in Africa, most of the continent’s inhabitants lead an agricultural lifestyle and live under conditions of constant hunger. Therefore, an appropriate solution requires to be found in order to provide broad-based prosperity and admissible living conditions.

World hunger can be caused by diverse reasons, which lead to the establishment of different concepts about the issue. The most common reasons for famine are poverty, food shortages, war, armed conflicts, global warming, the economy, poor public policy and food nutrition, gender inequality, food waste, as well as forced migration. Hence, the global understanding of world hunger can be viewed in correlation with other ubiquitous issues, and the reason for various solutions is the distinctions between its diverse concepts and directions.

For example, poverty tends to be one of the most significant factors that contribute to global hunger. In terms of famine, inadmissible living conditions lead to the inability to purchase healthy food. Additionally, the majority of poor families often sell their household goods, devices, and clothes to provide their relatives and children with the minimum amount of food and water. Living under the line of poverty results in a decrease in health levels, higher death rates, and expanding world hunger, especially in poor domestic areas. The Democratic Republic of Congo can be presented as an example of these factors’ influence. The second enormous problem causing global hunger is the ubiquitous food shortage that is mostly applicable to African countries as well. Generally, in this case, famine emerges under the affection of global warming, inappropriate weather for cultivating activities, the overall poverty across certain regions, and the population’s low educational level. In addition, global hunger shows a tendency to fluctuation depending on the year’s seasons; for example, when in certain tribes, the food from the previous harvest is ceased.

War or armed conflicts are often the primary reason for broad-based hunger. For example, in such countries as Sudan, Syria, or Iraq, the confrontations among diverse belligerent groups led to poverty, the decay of natural and human resources, and a shortage of land suitable for cultivating activities. Under such conditions, the populations of specific countries suffer from famine and struggle to get access to nutritious food. Hence, it can be stated that several reasons and issues for world hunger can be grouped based on their distinctions and similarities, such as economic, martial, social, or environmental factors.

A number of scholars and scientists express their concerns about global hunger and often consider it the most significant social problem comparable with the climate crisis. For example, Peter Singer and Garrett Hardin depict the importance of famine and suggest diverse solutions for the cease of the problem in their publications and scientific research. Both researchers argue about helping the less lucky and wealthy ones or leaving them without support and donation. The issue is rather controversial. Hence, scientists express diverse opinions regarding the world hunger and poverty problem. Singer’s main idea is that if people can provide starving, dying, and struggling people with help or financial support, they should definitely do it (Boesch, 2021). However, Hardin argues his viewpoint and supports the idea of “no sharing,” which means no donation from the wealthy ones (Hardin, 1974). Those viewpoints cannot be defined as correct or incorrect, ethical or unethical, because both have their risks and benefits. Therefore, they require to be examined and estimated to find the right compromise for solving this existing catastrophe.

On the one hand, people living in wealthier and more economically developed countries cannot be forced to donate to save other people from dying. Additionally, it cannot be considered an ethically inappropriate decision as such citizens do not bear any responsibility for the lives of poorer nations. However, when individuals see some donation or volunteering proposals and do not perform any actions, they generally feel guilty despite their non-participation. Singer explains that if there is any chance of helping someone to survive, then this opportunity has to be taken, and the person needs to be saved. Due to the complexity of people’s lives, this cannot be taken as the only right decision. For example, many people in the United States live under the line of poverty and often cannot afford to buy even vital products. However, American citizens prefer to donate to children in Africa instead of helping those who live only several miles away. In addition, Singer’s idea is rather extreme as it requires every citizen living under appropriate or satisfying living conditions to donate their money instead of buying more goods and services for themselves.

In comparison to Singer’s opinion, Hardin takes just the opposite position on the issue. However, the no-sharing concept can be considered extreme as well. For example, celebrities having millions or even billions of dollars could take part in diverse volunteering activities to encourage others willing to help to do so. Business corporations could apply a particular part of their profit to the establishment of specialized funds for helping people in need.

Such a viewpoint cannot be considered totally correct as well due to the broad-based integration and international relations between different political leaders and countries. Hardin thinks that people should not share their incomes or wealth with the poorer representatives of the community and focus on the increase of their own well-being (Hardin, 1974). No evidence is needed to state that the refusal to donate and invest in poverty and world hunger will lead to an enormous difference in economic and socio-cultural levels among various countries and continents. This situation will not be beneficial for both sides as such causes as lowering international trade volumes, growing number of immigrants and refugees, as well as overall economic stagnation will be seen. Therefore, the concept of no sharing might be inappropriate based on its radicalism and damaging outcomes.

Blind donations cannot help other nations succeed or fight the problem. More than money, such countries need support in developing and implementing advanced technology and learning to deal with climate change and diverse natural disasters. Additionally, modifications in the political, economic, and social spheres would be beneficial; hence, developed countries and their citizen would play a greater role by teaching volunteers than by donating. Hence, the right solution for the issue can be found by overlapping both Hardin’s and Singer’s suggestions. The donations should continue; however, those actions should be voluntary; therefore, only those who want to help should do it. Such funds are relevant in combination with the increase of knowledge, development of production, and economy. Donations and sponsorships without an actual rise in productivity are irrelevant and unprofitable.

Boesch, B. (2021). Ethics and absolute poverty: Peter Singer and effective altruism. 1000-Word Philosophy. Web.

Hardin, G. (1974). Lifeboat ethics: The case against helping the poor . The Garret Hardin Society. Web.

• Critical Thinking and What Constitutes This Ability
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IvyPanda. (2022, November 30). World Hunger: Causes and Solutions. https://ivypanda.com/essays/world-hunger-causes-and-solutions/

"World Hunger: Causes and Solutions." IvyPanda , 30 Nov. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/world-hunger-causes-and-solutions/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'World Hunger: Causes and Solutions'. 30 November.

IvyPanda . 2022. "World Hunger: Causes and Solutions." November 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/world-hunger-causes-and-solutions/.

1. IvyPanda . "World Hunger: Causes and Solutions." November 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/world-hunger-causes-and-solutions/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "World Hunger: Causes and Solutions." November 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/world-hunger-causes-and-solutions/.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Hunger — World Hunger Solution: Global Goal Called ‘Zero Hunger’

World Hunger Solution: Global Goal Called 'Zero Hunger'

• Categories: Hunger

About this sample

Words: 628 |

Published: Feb 8, 2022

Words: 628 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

World hunger essay outline, world hunger essay example, works cited, introduction.

• Statistics on child deaths due to poor nutrition
• Importance of nutrition for human health

The Global Hunger Problem

• Overview of the worldwide issue of insufficient food intake
• High unemployment rates and low-income levels contributing to hunger
• Challenges faced by those unable to afford regular meals

Solutions to Address Hunger

• Use of social media to raise awareness about hunger issues
• The role of websites in promoting awareness and facilitating donations

The Impact of Taking Action

• Improved well-being and happiness for those receiving help
• The potential for a positive societal change
• Consequences of inaction on the increasing death rate due to hunger
• The significant role of nutrition in human life
• The call to action for donations and support
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2015). The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015: Meeting the 2015 International Hunger Targets: Taking Stock of Uneven Progress.
• Global Hunger Index. (2021). 2021 Global Hunger Index: One Decade to Zero Hunger: Linking Health and Sustainable Food Systems.
• Global Nutrition Report. (2020). Global Nutrition Report 2020: Action on Equity to End Malnutrition. Retrieved from https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2020-global-nutrition-report/
• International Food Policy Research Institute. (2021). Global Hunger Index: Interactive Map. Retrieved from https://www.ifpri.org/map/global-hunger-index
• Potts, J. (2019). Undernutrition. In Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability (Vol. 4, pp. 426-433). Elsevier.
• Ruel, M. T., & Alderman, H. (2013). Nutrition-sensitive interventions and programmes: How can they help to accelerate progress in improving maternal and child nutrition? The Lancet, 382(9891), 536-551.
• The Lancet. (2013). Maternal and Child Nutrition Series.
• UNICEF. (2021). UNICEF Data: Monitoring the Situation of Children and Women.
• United Nations. (2015). The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015_MDG_Report/pdf/MDG%202015%20rev%20(July%201).pdf
• World Health Organization. (2020). Hunger and Health: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Advocacy for Zero Hunger

Despite a strong global commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2): Zero Hunger , evidence shows that the number of hungry people in the world is increasing . This is in large part due to conflict , which uproots people and disrupts their livelihoods, making it more difficult and costly for them to access or produce food. Climate change also plays an important role in exacerbating food insecurity globally, as it makes natural disasters more frequent and intense, with significant impact on the ground.

In this evolving scenario, business as usual is no longer an option for the World Food Programme (WFP). The urgent and lasting solutions needed to achieve Zero Hunger require changes in policy and practice at the global, regional, national and local levels . WFP actively advocates for these changes – including in various platforms and forums such as the World Economic Forum, Nutrition for Growth, G7, G20, the United Nations General Assembly, the High Level Political Forum and others – to promote quick and appropriate humanitarian response, ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food, build resilience, provide food security, promote inclusive economic growth and development and advance the SDGs, particularly SDG 2.

Informed by our programmes on the ground, WFP’s advocacy leverages the organization’s policy, research, and programmatic expertise in both the humanitarian and development sectors to address the root causes of food insecurity and barriers to achieving Zero Hunger.

WFP’s areas of focus for advocacy include  Zero Hunger, nutrition, climate change, conflict, humanitarian access, school feeding and children’s nutrition, cash transfers and social protection, innovation, gender equality, women’s empowerment, empowerment of smallholder farmers, agricultural, rural and local economic development, and food waste.

WFP advocacy priorities for reaching Zero Hunger

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