Threat to the ‘Zero Hunger’ Goal by 2030 

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• The United Nations’ goal to eradicate world hunger by 2030 seems increasingly challenging to achieve due to the impacts of wars, climate change, and economic crises.

About

• Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is all about creating a world free of hunger by 2030.
• The 2024 Global Hunger Index score for the world is 18.3, with 42 countries still experiencing alarming or serious hunger.
  • Hunger is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where the crisis has soared to humanitarian levels. 
• Little progress has been made on reducing hunger since 2016, and the prospects for achieving Zero Hunger by the target date of 2030 are grim.

Food Insecurity in India

• India has been ranked 105th out of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, placing it in the “serious” category for hunger levels. 
• The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report states that around 224 million people in India faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2021-22.

What are the challenges?

• Wars and Conflicts: Ongoing conflicts like in the Red Sea, disrupt supply chains, and access to food, leading to severe hunger, especially in vulnerable regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
• Climate Change: Extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and shifting agricultural patterns caused by climate change severely affect food production and availability.
• Regional Disparities: Hunger remains most severe in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where conditions have escalated to humanitarian crises, making it harder to address hunger effectively in these regions.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity, pushing many households into poverty and making it harder for them to access sufficient food.

India’s Efforts to achieve zero hunger by 2030

• Mid Day Meal Programme: The Programme aims to boost enrolment, retention, and attendance while improving the nutritional status of children in government, local body, and government-aided schools.
• Food Fortification: The government promotes fortified rice, wheat flour, and edible oils as part of the public distribution system.
• The National Food Security Act, 2013: The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
• Poshan Tracker: The Ministry of Women and Child Development developed the Poshan Tracker ICT application as a key governance tool.
  • It uses WHO’s expanded tables with day-based z-scores to dynamically assess stunting, wasting, underweight, and obesity in children based on height, weight, gender, and age.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was launched to alleviate hardships faced by the poor due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
• SakshamAnganwadi and Poshan 2.0 includes key schemes such as the POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anganwadi Services and Scheme for Adolescent Girls as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. 

Way Ahead

• Humanitarian Assistance: Provide more financial resources for humanitarian aid to conflict-affected regions to ensure food distribution and nutritional support.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Promote agricultural practices that can withstand shocks from climate change.
• Targeted Assistance Programs: Develop targeted food assistance programs for vulnerable populations affected by conflicts, including cash transfers and food vouchers.

Source: DTE