Five Steps to Zero Hunger

These five steps constitute the backbone of the Healthy Not Hungry campaign, promoted by the World Food Programme, Project Everyone and UNICEF to build momentum around SDGs 2 and 3 — Zero Hunger and Good Health for all.

• Put the furthest behind, first: To realize the full potential of our globalized economy, national governments must expand social protection schemes for the most vulnerable. Providing this opportunity for equitable economic growth will raise the purchasing power of the poorest 2 billion people which in turn will create incremental demand, generating new jobs and jump-starting local economies. Investing in inclusive development isn’t just the right thing to do; it makes good business sense.

Photo: WFP/Gabriela Vivacqua

• Pave the road from farm to market: Access to affordable, nutritious food for everyone — all 7 billion of us — is vital. We must innovate and invest in making our supply chains more efficient by developing sustainable durable markets. To support these markets, we must also improve rural infrastructure, particularly roads, storage and electrification, ensuring farmers ability to reach a wider consumer base.

A woman works on a potato leaf plantation in Kailahun, Sierra Leone. WFP/Olivia Acland

• Reduce food waste: Of the 4 billion metric tons of food we produce each year, one third is wasted, costing the global economy nearly US$750 billion annually. In developed countries food is often wasted on the plate, while in developing countries it is lost during production, as crops go unused or unprocessed because of poor storage or because the farmers cannot get their goods to market.
• Encourage a sustainable variety of crops: Today across the globe, four crops (rice, wheat, corn and soy) represent 60 percent of all calories consumed. Addressing the challenges of climate change, food availability and access will require helping farmers explore and identify a more diverse range of crops. Agricultural crop diversity will potentially provide communities with the nutrients required for healthy growth and an active lifestyle. To achieve this objective we must educate farmers in the cultivation of these crops, which includes ensuring they have access to the requisite tools and skills. Just as important, we must build a consumer market for these diverse foods by educating communities about the nutritional importance of eating a wide range of foods.

WFP/Berta Tilmantaite

• Make nutrition a priority, starting with a child’s first 1000 days: Nothing is more important to the development of a child than good health and nutrition, particularly in the first 1000 days (from conception through to the age of two). To prevent stunting and to promote healthy development, we must ensure that children and nursing mothers have access to the required nutritious foods.

After buying food with WFP´s cash-based transfer, Anayury Espinoza prepares a nutritious meal for herself and her baby Yuilmar Nicolas. Photo: WFP/Berta Tilmantaite

Find out more about the Healthy Not Hungry campaign here.