SDG 2- ZERO HUNGER

In politics, humanitarian aid, and social science, hunger is a condition in which a person, for a sustained period, is unable to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs. So, in the field of hunger relief, the term hunger is used in a sense that goes beyond the common desire for food that all humans experience. Throughout history, portions of the world's population have often suffered sustained periods of hunger. In many cases, this resulted from food supply disruptions caused by war, plagues, or adverse weather. In the decades following World War II, technological progress and enhanced political cooperation suggested it might be possible to substantially reduce the number of people suffering from hunger. While progress was uneven, by 2015 the threat of extreme hunger subsided for many of the world's population.

                                              Rapid economic growth and increased agricultural productivity over the past two decades have seen the number of undernourished people drop by almost half. Many developing countries that used to suffer from famine and hunger can now meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable. This is a huge achievement in line with the targets of the first Millennium Development Goals. However, extreme hunger and malnutrition remains a huge barrier to development for various countries. Therefore, the Sustainable Development Goals in its Goal 2 aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people – especially children – have access to sufficient and nutritious food all year round. This involves promoting sustainable agricultural practices: supporting small scale farmers and allowing equal access to land, technology and markets.

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES: -

·        More than one in ten people in the world is undernourished as per 2017 FAO Estimates, which makes 821 million people.

·        Globally, the proportion of undernourished people in developing regions has fallen by almost half since 1990, from 23.3% in 1990-1992 to 12.9% in 2014-2016.

·        Asia alone has two-third of the world’s hungry people.

·        Asia’s decreasing trend in undernourishment seems to be slowing down with 515 million deemed to be undernourished in 2017.

·        One in four children around the world suffer from stunted growth and in some developing countries its as high as one in three.

·        Agriculture is the world’s largest employer, involving 40% of the global population.

·        If women farmers have same access to resources as men, the number of hungry people in the world could be reduced by 150 million.

INDIA AND GOAL 2

India, with a population of over 1.3 billion, has seen tremendous growth in the past two decades. Gross Domestic Product has increased 4.5 times and per capita consumption has increased 3 times. Similarly, food grain production has increased almost 2 times. However, despite phenomenal industrial and economic growth and while India produces sufficient food to feed its population, it is unable to provide access to food to a large number of people, especially women and children.

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES: -

·        Around 15% of the population is undernourished in India, which makes 195.9 million people.

·        51.4% of women in the reproductive age between 15 to 49 years are anaemic.

·        Women account for 60% of India’s hungry population.

·        38.4% of the children aged under five in India are stunted (too short for their age).

·        21% of the children in India under five suffers from Wasting meaning their weight is too low for their height.

·        About 30% of new-born die of malnutrition.

·        India ranks 103 out of 119 countries in the Global Hunger Report 2018.

·        One-third of food gets lost or wasted in India every year.

The above-mentioned facts reveal to us that the state of affair for hunger in India is not good at all, though the country has come far better from three decades ago when every year it lost lives due to famines. How we grow our crops and consume our food has a significant impact on levels of hunger, but it doesn’t end there. If done right, agriculture and forests can become sources of decent incomes for the global population, the engines of rural development, and our vanguard against climate change. As a part of its commitment towards the SDGs as well as to eliminate hunger amongst its population, the Indian Government has taken critical steps to enhance food security, including through an India-wide targeted public distribution system, a National Nutrition Mission and the National Food Security Act. The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture and many national schemes on horticulture, agricultural technology and livestock are leading the way in improving India’s agriculture which has helped in reducing its undernourished population to an extent.

All these efforts, however, has in some way come short in achieving the target of eliminating hunger from everywhere in India. Following points will highlight on the issue:

·        Development Programs are yet to reach their expected audience.

·        Only 48.4% household has proper Sanitation facilities, which is a crucial element in improving health and nutrition of the people.

·        The proportion of children between six and 23 months who rec received an adequate diet was 9.6 per cent.

·        The misplacement of resources and predetermined cultural norms, such as the caste system, have prevented the state from moving forward.

·        Inadequate funding has been an obstacle in implementing the schemes with full efficiency.

                                                                             These figures reveal how important it is for the world to rethink global food and agricultural systems in a sustainable manner which can only help in achieving the target areas of SDG Goal 2. Working to improve food and agriculture can have a substantial impact on the attainment of the other 16 Sustainable Development Goals, as it can help combat climate change, bolster economic growth, and contribute to peace and stability in societies around the world. Local initiatives such as Food Banks, Soup Kitchen and others can help in reducing the challenge of hunger with the involvement of local population. Currently our soils, fresh water, oceans, forests, and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded. Climate change is putting greater pressure on the resources we depend on, and increasing risks associated with natural disasters. Rural women and men who can no longer make ends meet on their land, are being forced to migrate to cities in search of opportunities. Building resilience against natural disasters will be an important part of the global fight against hunger, as crises exacerbate food insecurity issues in countries affected by them.