The United Nations introduced Zero Hunger as a critical goal, aiming to ensure that everyone in the world has access to safe and nutritious food by 2030. In this article, we will explore the meaning of Zero Hunger, its current status, and strategies for its achievement.
Q. What is Zero Hunger?
A. Zero Hunger is the second of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims to securing universal access to safe and nutritious food by 2030.
Despite the fundamental role of a balanced diet in maintaining health, many around the globe still grapple with hunger for various reasons. Zero Hunger extends beyond eradicating hunger, encompassing stabilizing food supplies through sustainable agriculture and addressing nutritional imbalances.
Sub-goals of Zero Hunger
1. Provide safe and nutritious food
Everyone should have access to safe and nutritious food, especially vulnerable groups.
2. Ending malnutrition
End all forms of malnutrition, including stunting and anemia.
3. Building sustainable agriculture and food production systems
Enhance agricultural productivity and capacity and build sustainable food production systems.
Q. Why is Zero Hunger Important?
“It’s a human right to have access to good food and proper nutrition.”
-Emma Watson, Actress and UN Women’s Ambassador-
A. Food and nutrition are fundamental rights crucial for survival and health. Having access to safe and nutritious food enhances our sense of security and contributes to building better lives.
Societies suffer when members are undernourished, impacting productivity and increasing healthcare costs. Hunger limits human development, making other SDGs, such as education, health, and gender equality, unattainable.
According to the World Bank, undernutrition can reduce GDP in developing countries by up to 11%, imposing a substantial economic cost on nations.
In Ethiopia, malnutrition costs the country about 16.5% of its GDP, and in Malawi, about 10.3%.
Global Hunger Facts
● Hunger Facts
According to the The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 published by the FAO, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, an estimated 768 million people (at least 720 million people and at most 828 million people) worldwide faced hunger in 2021, comprising 9.8% of the world’s population.
This marked an increase of 150 million people from 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
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| Download the report |
● The State of Malnutrition
Recent World Bank data reveals that around 828 million people were undernourished in 2021, constituting 1 in 10 of the world’s population. Malnutrition is particularly prevalent in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa.
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| (Source: World Bank) |
The World Food Program (WFP) estimated that the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian war will add 47 million more people to the ranks of extreme hunger in 81 countries.
International organizations also predicted that 670 million people, or 8% of the world’s population, will face hunger in 2030 – the same 8% as in 2015, when the United Nations declared the SDGs – with climate change, conflicts around the world, and uncertain economic conditions making it difficult to achieve Zero Hunger.
Causes of World Hunger
Why hasn’t hunger disappeared in the affluent 21st century? The causes of world hunger can be broadly categorized into six main areas.
1. Conflict
Armed conflict disrupts food production and distribution. In regions of conflict, agricultural areas are turned into battle grounds, food production stops, infrastructure to distribute food are destroyed, exacerbating food shortages.
2. Climate Change
Climate-induced events, such as drought and flood, hinder food production particularly in regions relying on agriculture. The Sub-Saharan region is located in the center and south of the African continent, where it is most affected by climate change.
3. Disasters
Natural (typhoons and hurricanes) or man-made disasters disrupt food storage and distribution systems.
4. Inequality
Economic and social inequalities hinder vulnerable people’s access to food, particularly acute in low-income countries. Factors that exacerbate inequalities in access to food include economic inequality, social discrimination, and lack of education.
5. Food Loss
Inefficient storage, transportation, and distribution lead to significant food loss. This is especially prevalent in developing countries due to lack of or outdated agricultural storage infrastructure.
6. COVID-19
Movement restrictions and economic impacts of the pandemic negatively affect food systems, causing major disruptions to the global food supply.
Global hunger requires an integrated approach because these causes are interconnected, and one cause can exacerbate another.
How to Reach Zero Hunger
How can we end world hunger?
The United Nations, World Bank, World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization, and other international organizations propose several solutions:
1. Promote Sustainable Agriculture
Apply environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and practices for more sustainable agriculture.
2. Increase Crop Diversity
Enhance food security by growing a variety of crops rather than relying on a single crop.
3. Improve Food Storage and Preservation Technologies
Reduce loss and waste in food production, storage, transportation, and consumption.
4. Strengthen Food Distribution Networks
Build efficient food distribution systems to ensure quick delivery to areas in need.
5. Increase Nutrition Education and Awareness
Enhance education about nutrition to enable healthier food choices.
6. Community Engagement and Revitalization
Empower communities to directly participate in food production and distribution.
7. Promote Women and Minority Participation in Agriculture
Facilitate active involvement of women and minorities in agriculture and food production.
8. Improve Water Resource Management
Efficiently manage water resources to sustainably secure water for agriculture.
9. Build Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
Develop strategies to minimize the impacts of climate change.
10. Increase International Cooperation and Investment
Collaborate across countries and organizations to provide funding and technology to address food security and nutrition issues.
They offer different methods and strategies to achieve Zero Hunger, paving the way for a better future and sustainable development.
What Can We Do to Help?
What can individuals do to help create a world without hunger?
Making small changes in your lives – supporting local farmers or markets, making sustainable food choices, donating to hunger relief organizations, and reducing food waste – are ways to help achieve Zero Hunger. You can use your voices to advocate for Zero Hunger, raising awareness on social media using the #ZeroHunger hashtag, and demand businesses and governments make the choices and changes.
These small impacts can help to make Zero Hunger a reality by 2030.
“Peace is concrete action; it is not a vague dream.”
-Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon
Founder of the Sunhak Peace Prize -
Written by: Yeon Je Choi