Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2 or Global Goal 2) aims to achieve “zero hunger“. It is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The official wording is: “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”. SDG 2 highlights the “complex inter-linkages between food security, nutrition, rural transformation and sustainable agriculture”. According to the United Nations, there were up to 757 million people facing hunger in 2023 – one out of 11 people in the world, which accounts for slightly less than 10 percent of the world population. One in every nine people goes to bed hungry each night, including 20 million people currently at risk of famine in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria.
SDG 2 has eight targets and 14 indicators to measure progress. The five outcome targets are: ending hunger and improving access to food; ending all forms of malnutrition; agricultural productivity; sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices; and genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals; investments, research and technology. The three means of implementation targets include addressing trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets and food commodity markets and their derivatives.
After falling for decades, under-nutrition rose after 2015, with causes including various stresses in food systems such as climate shocks, the locust crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Those threats indirectly reduced the purchasing power and the capacity to produce and distribute food, which affects the most vulnerable populations and furthermore has reduced their accessibility to food.
While the world was witnessing a gradual decline in under-nutrition in 2023, the double burden of malnutrition – defined as the co-existence of undernutrition together with overweight and obesity – has been on the rise over the last two decades, characterized by a sharp increase in obesity rates and with only a gradual decline in thinness and underweight. Underweight among adults and the elderly has been cut in half while obesity is on the rise in all age groups.
The world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. “The signs of increasing hunger and food insecurity are a warning that there is considerable work to be done to make sure the world “leaves no one behind” on the road towards a world with zero hunger.” It is unlikely there will be an end to malnutrition in Africa by 2030.
Data from 2019 showed that “globally, 1 in 9 people are undernourished, the vast majority of whom live in developing countries. Under nutrition causes wasting or severe wasting of 52 million children worldwide”.
In September 2015, the General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that included 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on the principle of “leaving no one behind”, the new Agenda emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all. In September 2019, Heads of State and Government came together during the SDG Summit to renew their commitment to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. During this event, they acknowledged some progress had been made, but that overall, “the world is not on track to deliver the SDGs”. This is when “the decade of action” and “delivery for sustainable development” was launched, demanding stakeholders to speed up the process and efforts of implementation.
SDG 2 aims to end all forms of malnutrition and hunger by 2030 and ensure that everyone has sufficient food throughout the year, especially children. Chronic malnutrition, which affects an estimated 155 million children worldwide, also stunts children’s brain and physical development and puts them at further risk of death, disease, and lack of success as adults. Hungry people are less productive and easily prone to diseases. As such, they will be unable to improve their livelihood.
Innovations in agriculture are meant to ensure increase in food production and subsequent decrease in food loss and food waste.
A report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of 2013 stated that the emphasis of the SDGs should not be on ending poverty by 2030, but on eliminating hunger and under-nutrition by 2025. The assertion is based on an analysis of experiences in China, Vietnam, Brazil, and Thailand. Three pathways to achieve this were identified: 1) agriculture-led; 2) social protection- and nutrition-intervention-led; or 3) a combination of both of these approaches.
| Targets | Indicator(s) |
|---|---|
| 2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round Ending hunger and increasing access to food | 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) |
| 2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons Ending all forms of malnutrition | 2.2.1 Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age 2.2.2 Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight) 2.2.3 Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage) |
| 2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment Agricultural production | 2.3.1 Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size 2.3.2 Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status |
| 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality Sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices | 2.4.1 Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture |
| 2.5 By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed Genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals | 2.5.1 Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities 2.5.2 Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction |
| 2.a Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries Investment, research and technology | 2.a.1 The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures 2.a.2 Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector |
| 2.b Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round Trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets | 2.b.1 Agricultural export subsidies |
| 2.c Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility Food commodity markets and their derivatives | 2.c.1 Indicator of food price anomalies |
Tools
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.
Links with other SDGs
The SDGs are deeply interconnected. All goals could be affected if progress on one specific goal is not achieved.
Climate change and natural disasters are affecting food security. Disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and mitigation are essential to increase harvests quality and quantity. Targets 2.4 and 2.5 are directly linked to the environment.
SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) is deeply intertwined with all other Sustainable Development Goals, acting as a linchpin for achieving broader development objectives. Progress on SDG 2 is essential for achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty), as hunger and poverty are intrinsically linked. Similarly, SDG 2’s focus on sustainable agriculture and food security directly impacts SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by promoting practices that mitigate climate change and protect natural resources. Furthermore, SDG 2’s emphasis on nutrition and access to healthy food is crucial for achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education), as malnutrition can hinder both physical and cognitive development.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
– SDG 1 (No Poverty): Hunger and poverty are mutually reinforcing. Ending hunger is crucial for poverty reduction, and vice versa.
– SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Malnutrition, a key aspect of SDG 2, directly impacts health outcomes, increasing susceptibility to disease and hindering overall well-being.
– SDG 4 (Quality Education): Undernourished children often face learning difficulties and reduced educational attainment, highlighting the connection between food security and education.
– SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Women often bear a disproportionate burden of food insecurity and malnutrition. Achieving SDG 2 requires addressing gender inequalities in access to resources and decision-making power within the food system.
– SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Access to clean water and sanitation is crucial for food production and preventing foodborne illnesses, directly impacting SDG 2.
– SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Sustainable agriculture and food systems can create decent jobs and contribute to economic growth, particularly in rural areas.
– SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Promoting sustainable food production and consumption patterns is essential for achieving both SDG 2 and SDG 12.
– SDG 13 (Climate Action): Climate change significantly impacts agriculture and food security. Sustainable agricultural practices are crucial for mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects.
–SDG 15 (Life on Land): Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems is essential for maintaining healthy and productive agricultural systems, which are vital for achieving SDG 2.
– SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Achieving SDG 2 requires strong partnerships and collaborations at all levels, highlighting the importance of SDG 17.
Organizations and programmes
Organizations, programmes and funds that have been set up to tackle hunger and malnutrition include:
– United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
– Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
– World Food Programme (WFP)
– International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
– World Bank
– United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
International NGOs include:
– Action Against Hunger (or Action Contre La Faim (ACF) in French)
– Feeding America
– The Hunger Project (THP)
INDIA AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 2
India maps global SDG indicators (GI) with their national SDG indicators (NI) and its framework. Different Government of India’s agencies are responsible for development and monitoring and analysis of the national SDG indicators. For SDG 2 viz., Zero Hunger, the custodian agencies in India are,
– Indicator 2.1.1 – Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– Indicator 2.1.2 – Department of Food and Public Distribution (NFSA Division), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
– Indicator 2.2.1 – Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– Indicator 2.2.2 – Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– Indicator 2.2.3 – Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– Indicator 2.2.4 – Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– Indicator 2.2.5 – Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– Indicator 2.3.1 – Agriculture Statistics, ES&E Division, DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
– Indicator 2.3.2 – National Accounts Division, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
– Indicator 2.3.3 – 1) Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, 2) National Accounts Division, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
– Indicator 2.4.1 – Agriculture Census Unit-II, DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
– Indicator 2.4.2 – INM, DAC&FW, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
– Indicator 2.4.3 – 1) INM, DAC&FW, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, 2) APEDA, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
– Indicator 2.5.1 – ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
– Indicator 2.5.2 – DARE, ICARE-NBAGR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
– Indicator 2.5.3 – DARE, ICARE-NBPGR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
– Indicator 2.a.1 – NAD, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
– Indicator 2.a.2 – NAD, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
– Indicator 2.b.1 – National Indicator (NI) under development.
– Indicator 2.c.1 – Agriculture Marketing Division, DAC&FW & Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
FOR MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION ON SDG 2 – ZERO HUNGER, LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE ON ‘RESEARCH WITH NJ’.
Naman Jain 