SDG #2 Zero Hunger
Over the past several decades, population growth, inequalities and diversification of diets have, naturally, increased the demand for food. The current food crisis is an immense challenge, and it will require global commitment to be dealt with successfully. Well before the beginning of 2020, the world was not on track to ending global hunger and food security, but the pandemic has exacerbated this massively and it is necessary to make changes now. The second Sustainable Development Goal focuses on this problem, and it aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
The SDG’s main targets, in line with the Agenda 2030, include, to end all forms of malnutrition, especially for the poorest and people in vulnerable situations, including ensuring that there is enough nutritious food for infants all around and addressing the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older citizens. Additionally, to increase in the agricultural productivity, by double, and increased incomes of small-scale food producers, equal access to land for all, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities. Moreover, the goal aims to increase investment in agricultural practices and adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity and their derivatives.
Before COVID-19, food insecurity was already on the rise, an increased 3.2% from 2014 to 2018 people were affected by moderate or severe food insecurity, but the implications of the pandemic manifest an additional threat to the food systems. With this, the world has seen a significant intensification of the vulnerabilities and inadequacies of global food systems, which could potentially add hundreds of millions more people to the massive list of the chronically undernourished.
In the current times, stunting and wasting, amongst children, are the factors which are most likely to worsen the most post pandemic. By way of definition, stunting is the prevention of growth of an individual through chronic malnutrition and wasting causes muscles and tissue to “waste” away – mostly considered short term rather than stunting which is long term. According to research from the UN, in 2019, 144 million, representative of 21.3% of children under 5, are stunted and 6.9% or 47 million are affected by wasting and, the highest levels of hunger are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, small-scale food producers are hit hard by the crises – 40% to 85% of all food producers in developing regions.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021, also known as SOFI, is the first report that displays “evidence-based global assessment of chronic food insecurity in the year the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and spread across the globe”. Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to expose weaknesses in our food systems, which threaten the lives and livelihoods of people around the world, particularly the most vulnerable and those living in fragile contexts. The report estimates that 161m more people faced hunger in 2020 than in 2019, and even further 320m more people did not have access to adequate food – across the world with no region unaffected.
The report goes on to focus on six transformative pathways, through best practices and lessons used worldwide, to return and achieve the goals set as part of the SDGs, by 2030. These pathways are different between countries depending on context, but one or more could be used in each situation:
(i) integrating humanitarian; development and peacebuilding policies in conflict-affected areas;
(ii) scaling up climate resilience across food systems;
(iii) strengthening resilience of the most vulnerable to economic adversity;
(iv) intervening along the food supply chains to lower the cost of nutritious foods;
(v) tackling poverty and structural inequalities, ensuring interventions are pro-poor and inclusive;
(vi) strengthening food environments and changing consumer behaviour to promote dietary patterns with positive impacts on human health and the environment.
This report focuses, too, on complementary food system solutions to end food insecurity and malnutrition, the effects of the pandemic and is looking for ways to ensure access to affordable healthy diets for all, looking at both spectrums, from underweight individuals to obesity, due to lack of access to healthy and nutritious food.
Agricultural business also has a big impact on the potential to end hunger. However, it faces multiple challenges mostly caused by the increase in world population which is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050. These challenges include “smaller rural labour force, soil quality degradation, climate change, food wastage, water scarcity, biofuel production and changing lifestyles leading to urbanization and more protein-intensive diets”. Businesses need to work with governments and other stakeholders to design and deliver effective solutions for a sustainable agricultural system
Some examples of key business actions that have been laid out are: supporting, encouraging and establishing long-term business relationships small-scale farming; investing in sustainable agricultural technology; fostering knowledge, experience and data sharing amongst businesses, collecting and sharing agricultural information and statistics in order to contribute to global data platforms and, lastly, upholding high standards of sustainability and demonstrating transparency in the supply chain.
The global hunger problem has been exacerbated throughout the last 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although originally not on track to achieve the goals set out in the Agenda 2030, the pandemic has pushed out the targets by a significant margin. The SOFI Report in 2021, highlights multiple transformative ways to deal with the issue, with each individual country adjusting based on what they feel is specific to their situation. Incrementally, it is important that business is involved to create a sustainable supply chain along with governments and other stakeholders. However, we are all able to do our bit – as noted by the UNs top tips below:
· Find a charity you can support
· Don’t waste food
· Buy local and in-season food
· Buy “funny” fruit – many fruits and vegetables are thrown away because of their size, shape or colour are not right
· Consume less meat and become vegetarian for one day a week – the meat production industry has a huge impact on the environment
· Stay informed by following your local news or social media @TheGlobalGoals
