Feed the Future: Food Security Goals for 2030

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Feed the Future: Food Security Goals for 2030

Published: April 28, 2017

Author: Megan Hanna

Source: U.S. Government

Topic Editor: Andy Jorgensen

Topics: Food Security

Sustainability

Poverty

Making Large Strides Toward a Food Secure Globe

Co-operative farm started by community in rural DR Congo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
Since 2000, the global community has made strides in mitigating global hunger and poverty, but only now does human kind have the means to end these problems. Through aliquoting adequate food sources, providing proper nutrition, and creating job opportunities through policy changes, funding, and collaboration between organizations both the initiative Feed the Future and the UN Sustainable Development Goals plan to eradicate hunger and poverty by 2030. 

The development of middle-income countries and the efforts made at the 2009 G8 Summit in L’Aquila, Italy led to the increased progress in food security over the last decade. There, President Barack Obama and other world leaders discussed the Millennium Development Goals and committed to achieving global food security. Thereafter, the U.S. Government established the Feed the Future initiative which seeks to eliminate specifically agricultural and nutritional problems in underdeveloped countries. Feed the Future, in 2015, assisted farmers in making more than $800 million in agricultural sales and provided 18 million children with proper nutrition. They also helped create about 5,000 public-private partnerships, attain more than $600 million in private sector capital investment, and reduced both incidents of stunted growth (by 12 to 32 percent) and poverty (by 12 to 26 percent)  in countries of service. 

Actions to be Taken and Goals for the Near Future

Progress is being made; however, there are still about 800 million people who live in extreme hunger, two billion do not consume a diet with essential vitamins and minerals, and around 159 million children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth. These immediate issues affect both the livelihood and potential of the individuals and as a result the overall sustainability of these impoverished countries due to lack of economic growth. To continue making changes and completely end poverty and hunger, there needs to be an urgency in the call to action which is evident as the lack of food security pertains to all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. To attain these goals and the Feed the Future initiative there needs to be in increase in peoples’ incomes, improvement in nutrition, and increased resilience within an individual and among a community. 

Higher incomes allow people to get out of poverty and contribute more to their society. It allows them to have funds to save, use on various foods, improve their healthcare and education access, and invest in local businesses. This also increases economic growth by expanding revenue through the creation of new jobs. Incomes increase through improving markets, trade, governance and skills development as well as investments in agriculture and food systems. The nutritional value of the food consumed is another one of Feed the Futures focuses.

Through improved nutrition healthcare costs and mortality are lowered and again economic productivity increases. The first one thousand days of a child’s life are a critical period for attaining nutrition. Children who are malnourished during this period do not go far in their schooling and have lower lifetime earnings. Feed the Future aims to make healthy, nutritious food more accessible and directed to places in need of particular nutrients.

Food security stressors include floods, droughts, health crises, lack of clean water, and damage to the environment. If individuals, families, communities living with these stressors are not resilient, they are more likely to fall back into poverty. Resilience can be achieved through the use of mobile money and obtaining insurance, mitigating conflict within a region, expanding job opportunities that are not agricultural, and encouraging women and minority groups by provide them with the same means to thrive. On a larger scale, even institutions should be made resilient in case of major crises. 

What Must be Done: Internal and External Affairs

Mothers support group start growing tomato crop in greenhouse in Lodwar northern Kenya https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
 

Feed the Future initiative believes in shared prosperity that can be accomplished through investing in the agriculture sector. Through developing agricultural systems, the income of both farmers and producers is increased. Farmers’ households are also able to obtain more nutritious foods and create an environment that empowers women. Most communities that live in extreme poverty are in rural area. Therefore, accessibility to nutritious foods needs to be improved as well as the reduction of the cost of food. Jobs are created through efficient food systems. These include jobs in transportation, storage, delivery, processing, and the sale of foods. Utilizing and improving technology and promoting domestic and international trade is also important for economic growth in rural areas. These strides are futile without government support and policy enactment to ensure that growth is inclusive and appropriated to the impoverished areas. Two main factors are required for better distribution of capital: continued strong leadership and more catalytic development aid. According to the UN, it is estimated that an additional $260 billion annually is needed to end global hunger. Therefore, all efforts are necessary to achieve the goal.  

Government's Role

The overall success of a country and the ability to maintain success depends on strong country leadership with politicians committed to establishing outcomes. The policy agendas within a government should be transparent and support the peoples’ best interest. The policy makers should encourage open trade policies that encourage local farmers and business owners. Policies on nutrition and food safety, equality and integration of women in the food system, and land rights need to be addressed and some policies reformed. Governments also need to address the operating systems of food and goods distribution by utilizing research and better infrastructure. Feed the Future proposes that multiple progress reports should be given in a year to show how much is allocated for food security and nutrition. This way investments can be monitored and adjusted accordingly. Increasing domestic revenue by improving the administration will allow for sustainability. Accountability of the government affairs will help in improving policy systems and spending plans.  

Developing and Directing Assistance

In order for these changes to take flight, outside assistance from donors is required as well. The focus is on having donations treat the source of the problems through strengthening and supporting the public sector. Other important investments include improving communication between government agencies, research, and working with both private sectors and civilians. Having incentives for investors encourages them to support agriculture in developing countries. Using insurance policies also provides a means of money security for the investors and investee accountability. Providing the means to better address emergencies such as natural disasters via humanitarian emergency response systems is another investment Feed the Future envisions for 2030. This requires coordination between humanitarian and development efforts. The United Nations, which the U.S. is a part of, is a prime example of governments coming together to advocate for countries in crisis. 

Reference

Further Reading

  • "Goal 2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture." United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals. United Nations, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

Citation

  • Hanna, Megan (2017). "Feed the Future: Food Security Goals for 2030" http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Feed_the_Future:_Food_Security_Goals_for_2030 ☂Retrieved from The Encyclopedia of Earth
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