What’s the goal here?
To end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Why?
Extreme hunger and malnutrition remains a barrier to sustainable development and creates a trap from which people cannot easily escape. Hunger and malnutrition mean less productive individuals, who are more prone to disease and thus often unable to earn more and improve their livelihoods. 2 billion people in the world do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. In 2019, 144 million children under the age of 5 were stunted, and 47 million were affected by wasting.
How many people go hungry?
More than 690 million people were undernourished in 2019, mainly in Asia and Africa. People experiencing moderate food insecurity are typically unable to eat a healthy, balanced diet on a regular basis because of income or other resource constraints. If these trends continue, an estimated 840 million people will go hungry by 2030.
The situation is likely to deteriorate even further owing to COVID-19.
Why are there so many hungry people?
Along with conflict, climate shocks and the locust crisis, the pandemic poses an additional threat to food systems. Civil insecurity and declining food production have all contributed to food scarcity and high food prices.
Investment in the agriculture sector is critical for reducing hunger and poverty, improving food security, creating employment and building resilience to disasters shocks.
Why should I care?
We all want our families to have enough food to ear what is safe and nutritious. A world with zero hunger can positively impact our economies, health, education, equality and social development.
It’s a key piece of building a better future for everyone. Additionally, with hunger limiting human development, we will not be able to achieve the other sustainable development goals such as education, health and gender equality.
How can we achieve zero hunger?
Food security requires a multi-dimensional approach – from social protection to safeguard safe and nutritious food especially for children – to transforming food systems to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable world. There will need to be investments in rural and urban areas and in social protection so poor people have access to food and can improve their livelihoods.
What can we do to help?
You can make changes in your own life – at home, at work and in the community – by supporting local farmers or markets and making sustainable food choices, supporting good nutrition for all, and fighting food waste.
You can also use your power as a consumer and voter, demanding businesses and governments make the choices and changes that will make Zero Hunger a reality. Join the conversation, whether on social media platforms or in your local communities.
To find out more about Goal #2 and other Sustainable Development Goals, visit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/