The Road to Zero Hunger by 2030

The Zero Hunger Challenge was launched by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2012. The Zero Hunger vision reflects five elements from within the SDGs, which taken together, can end hunger, eliminate all forms of malnutrition, and build inclusive and sustainable food systems. 

Zero Hunger Food system:

• It is a framework that includes every aspect of feeding and nourishing people: from growing, harvesting and processing to packaging, transporting, marketing and consuming food. 
• To be sustainable, a food system must provide enough nutritious food for all without compromising feeding future generations.

India’s food system working during a pandemic:

The Covid-19 containment measures have brought out the multi-dimensionality of India’s food challenges.

• Prevalent Malnutrition
• The threat to Food Security

Government Initiatives:

• Public distribution system
• Agricultural growth
• Agricultural productivity
• Dealing with climate change
• The Integrated Child Development Services 
• The mid-day meal programme 

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The World Food Programme:

• It is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations. 
• It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the largest one focused on hunger and food security, and the largest provider of school meals. 
• This year’s Nobel Peace Prize to the World Food Programme (WFP) is a recognition of its role in combating hunger and malnutrition across the developing world.
• According to the WFP, 132 million more people could become malnourished as a consequence of the pandemic.

Challenges:

• Threat of Climate Change
• Retreat of Multiculturalism
• Global hunger
• Malnutrition, Anemia
• Intensified food production systems
• Fragmentation of landholdings

Way forward:

• Sustainable agriculture
• Curbing wastage
• Adopt innovative solutions 
• The way we produce food must change
• Need For Global Cooperation