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Opinion A world without hunger is everyone’s business – let's put things right

The picture is clear: without adequate food and proper nutrition, a child will not live, learn and grow up to lead a healthy and productive life.

GOOD NEWS MADE rare headlines in the international press last week. Over the last decade, the number of hungry people in the world has declined by more than 100 million, according to the latest report on the State of Food Insecurity in the World.

The bad news… 805 million people are still chronically undernourished. In a world of more than plenty, one in nine people still suffer from the tragic consequences of hunger.

One of the most critical consequences of hunger is child undernutrition. When a child is undernourished before the age of five, neither the body nor the brain can develop to their full potential. The damage can be irreversible…

The country that child lives in is also badly affected. According to a recent study – the groundbreaking Cost of Hunger in Africa study – the annual costs associated with child undernutrition in Africa are alarming – ranging from 1.9 to 16.5% of GDP. This translates to, in the case of Ethiopia, US$4.7 billion.

Undernutrition halts development

The picture is clear: without adequate food and proper nutrition, a child will not live, learn and grow up to lead a healthy and productive life. This is why child undernutrition remains one of the biggest impediments for social and economic development.

“We know this has to change,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2012, as he launched the Zero Hunger Challenge. “How can we rest while so many people are hungry in the world while there is enough food for all?”

The Zero Hunger Challenge is the Secretary-General’s vision for a future where all people enjoy their fundamental right to food.

The Challenge consists of five elements:

  1. Ensuring no child less than two years old is stunted, which means providing universal access to nutritious food in the 1,000-day window of opportunity between the start of pregnancy and a child’s second birthday.
  2. Enabling all people to access the food they need at all times through nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems, marketing, decent and productive employment, social protection, targeted safety nets and food assistance.
  3. Ensuring sustainable food systems through standards of sustainability for all farmers, agribusinesses, cooperatives, governments, unions and civil society.
  4. Reducing rural poverty and improving wellbeing through encouraging decent work, and increasing smallholders’ income, empowering women, small farmers, fishers, pastoralists and others.
  5. Minimising food losses during storage and transport, and eliminating waste of food by retailers and consumers by empowering consumer choice through appropriate labeling and encouraging commitments from producers, retailers and consumers within all nations.

It has been two years since Secretary-General Ban launched what he called his vision for a future where all people enjoy a fundamental right to food. Since then, a broad range of countries – more than 100 – as well as business, organisations and individuals have taken bold actions to eliminate hunger.

Achieving Zero Hunger 

A world without hunger is everyone’s business. And the Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger Challenge has indeed galvanised political support and encouraged governments, international organisations, civil society and businesses to work together in new transformative and multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve Zero Hunger.

When Zero Hunger champions come together this week during the 69th General Assembly, in the high level event Delivering Zero Hunger – Demonstrating Impact, co-hosted by Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan, they will be sharing the bold and comprehensive actions they have taken to move the world toward a future without hunger: from stepping up private and public investment in sustainable and climate smart agriculture and food systems, to handling the threat of unprecedented humanitarian crises. From working with expectant mothers and mothers of infants to prevent and reduce chronic child under- and malnutrition through community-based nutrition, and sustainable land management in South America to improving access to markets, finance and technical support to small holder farmers in Africa.

The Delivering Zero Hunger – Demonstrating Impact is co-hosted by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, Charles Flanagan, and Secretary of Social Development of Mexico, Rosario Robles Berlanga, as well as the principals from three food-based UN organisations: Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, José Graziano da Silva, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Dr Kanayo F Nwanze and Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin.

Delivering Zero Hunger – Demonstrating Impact will showcase how champions for the Zero Hunger movement have set the highest bar and have started to put things right by ending chronic hunger. It will provide an important platform for new commitments from all of us to ensure that hunger will be ended in our lifetime.

Watch the UN event live here from 6.1pm Irish time

Signed: 

Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Charles Flanagan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland
Rosario Robles Berlanga, Secretary of Social Development of Mexico
José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO
Mr Kanayo F Nwanze, President of IFAD
Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of WFP

Here are the 10 hungriest countries in the world

Taoiseach doubles Ireland’s spend on nutrition for the next eight years

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12 Comments
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    Mute Phillip Hogan
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:53 PM

    It is literally impossible for everybody in the world to have the same standard of living as us. The planet simply cannot sustain that many people

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    Mute Danny Rigg
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    Sep 25th 2014, 7:02 PM

    Actually the world can sustain the number of people who are already on it. The problem is that resources are hoarded, necessities like food and water are used as things to make money with, and the land we have to grow food on isn’t used efficiently and there’s plenty of land that isn’t used.

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 25th 2014, 7:17 PM

    You reckon Philip?

    Cause you’re wrong.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:38 AM

    3 sixteen yr olds just proved we can get more out of crops. Read more.

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    Mute Niall Condren
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    Sep 25th 2014, 7:51 PM

    The sad truth is that if humanity as a whole wanted to end world hunger, we would have it done within a couple of months. But instead, we have trillions being spent on war all over the world. It should be obvious to most that our leaders are some sick and twisted individuals. Most of them i’d guess have no sense of humanity and are concerned only with personal gain and power. Any food programmes would be “mismanaged”and the money will not go where it is supposed to. How can the UN talk about world hunger, when the atrocities they observe every day are inherently anti-human. Why is the US not reprimanded for genocide and as the worlds most aggressive hegemonic power? It’s the double standards that are becoming so glaringly obvious. They want to give starving children food and water so they don’t go hungry, but, look out for our missiles kids

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    Mute John B
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:53 PM

    Are you really that naive? Months and we could sort out world hunger? There isn’t enough money on the planet to sort out world hunger. OK yes, the food might be there. But to actually get it to those that need it would involve a humanitarian, and more importantly military operation bigger than anyone could imagine.

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    Mute Liam O Cearruil
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:55 PM

    Many of these ‘leaders’ would be classed as psychopaths if their personalities were tested. Same for many of the heads of large corporations.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:36 AM

    “There isn’t enough money”
    #completelackofunderstandingoftheissue

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    Mute Rory McGuirk
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:39 PM

    Let them eat cake.

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    Mute thetruth
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:27 PM

    Accompanied by a mc donalds ad?

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    Mute Munster2014
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:58 PM

    Yes let’s throw loads of money at the third world hunger problem because that’s worked so well in the last 40 years.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:58 AM

    But aren’t they preaching to the wrong people? As far back as I can remember I have been giving money to help the starving in Arfica . Trocaire boxes jumbles sales for the nuns to pass on to missionaries feeding hungry children . I like a lot of people gave every month to concern and other charities working on the ground . Never mind live aid band aid and so on. What more can they expect us ordinary people to do.? Surely the corruption and territorial wars in Arfica are the real problem? If the international community is so willing to help and I believe that has been proven time and time again what are the obstacles ? I heard a guy speak on sky from a UK charity and he said corruption was the biggest problem they faced. I’m sure other charities have the same issue. I know thrud world debt is an issue but honestly there seems to be little willingness inside some countries to help themselves . Well their politicians anyway why. Their Infrastructrue and health care and education are all sorely lacking . How then could they ever help their own people to work their way out of poverty . I get the problems around famine and how foreign aid is vital but outside crop failures where are the development plans? The countries in question need to start getting their own houses in order. Currently we are not seeing the wholesale improvements that huge amounts of aid over the last 40 years should have yielded. Start with the countries themselves . Then you won’t have extremist groups gaining ground in the poorest areas where people are tired of being destitute . Don’t preach to us . We want to help we have been helping . What more is expected from us?

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