UN SDG 2: Zero Hunger
“Hunger is the leading cause of death in the world. Our planet has provided us with tremendous resources, but unequal access and inefficient handling leaves millions of people malnourished. If we promote sustainable agriculture with modern technologies and fair distribution systems, we can sustain the whole world’s population and make sure that nobody will ever suffer from hunger again.”
Source: https://www.globalgoals.org/2-zero-hunger
It’s a paradox that hunger is the leading cause of death in a world with more information and technology than ever before. We live in more controlled environments than the generations before us. We have more sophisticated methods for growing, protecting and transporting food across large areas. Yet hunger, malnutrition and various co-morbidities associated with undernutrition abound. The World Health Organization points out to the ‘double burden of malnutrition’ that many countries face. Malnutrition now co-exists with obesity and overweight. There’s a shocking increase in diet-related noncommunicable diseases all over the world.
Targets under this goal include providing access to safe and nutritious food, ending all forms of malnutrition, doubling agricultural productivity and more. Research has found that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial. The right health and nutrition at this time can provide a lifelong foundation for health. All elements of this Goal are geared towards growing, eating and accessing healthy food for all citizens.
NGOs are well aware of the prevalence of hunger and how it affects the poor. They focus on everything from neo-natal and maternal health to hunger in early childhood that can forever stunt a child’s growth. They provide monthly rations to the elderly who can no longer work or afford to buy food for themselves.
Action Against Hunger found that 20 million children in India suffer from acute malnutrition, with nearly 1 million children dying due to acute malnutrition. They work in 633 villages across the country, providing curative and preventive care, increasing awareness of health and nutrition and creating community interventions to tackle this issue. They have touched close to 0.13 million lives so far. Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust and Annamrita Foundation provide mid-day meals for children who would otherwise attend school on an empty stomach. Akshaya Ahara promotes ‘food philanthropy’, encouraging people to donate unused surplus foods from events like weddings. They’ve managed to collect and redistribute an average of 300,000 meals annually.
We as individuals also have a role to play in moving towards Zero Hunger. It includes making conscious choices about the food we eat and may waste. There are initiatives like The Robin Hood Army, which collects surplus and unused food and distributes to people in need. Our choices as consumers can help farmers sustain an income from agriculture. We can choose to add fresh and whole foods to our diet and cook more instead of relying on processed foods that has travelled thousands of miles to get to our plate. A Zero Hunger world is possible and within our reach.
PS: You can read our blogs on the other UN Sustainable Development Goals here.
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