Group 9_C | SDG 2: Zero Hunger

 

ZERO HUNGER: GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES AND POSSIBILITIES

Harshit Sejra (BJ20140) | Madhavpreet Singh Saini (BJ20147) | Ruchi Agarwal (BJ20164) | Sneha Jain (BJ20172) | Vaibhav Sharma (BJ20178) | Vikram Bansal (BJ20181)

 

When the world leaders met in Rio de Janeiro and discussed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and laid the foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), about 165 million children were stunted due to malnutrition[1]. Current estimates show that more than 690 million people are hungry (measured by the prevalence of undernutrition) world over[2]. This makes 8.9% of the world population. What is worse is that 135 million suffer from acute hunger because of human-made conflicts, climate change and economic downturns[3] , i.e., easily avoidable reasons. Moreover, the current Covid pandemic could double this number by the end of 2020.

It is in this context that the SDG 2 Zero Hunger becomes all the more critical. Realizing the extent to which hunger is prevalent and its impact on social and economic lives of people and nations, the UN changed its strategy by separating the Poverty and Hunger goals while devising the SDGs unlike the case of MDGs. The Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 has eight targets2 encompassing the issues of malnutrition as a whole, food security in terms of aiming to double the agricultural productivity and ensuring sustainable food production systems, investment in infrastructure and trade practices in agricultural as well as food commodity markets.


Source: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal2

Let us look at the current status of hunger in the world. Since 2014, the prevalence of undernourishment has virtually remained unchanged[4]. On top of that, the 2016-2020 period saw many additional threats derailing the journey towards the goal – conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa, the locust crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. The ubiquity of the hunger issue dictates that governments alone cannot achieve this goal on their own. They need support from the civil society, and the most important actors in the civil society that can help achieve this goal are the businesses. In this article, we explore India's hunger situation and track the progress of India towards achieving this goal. We also see the role businesses play, along with some challenges associated with achieving this goal.

HOME AND HUNGER

Do you know what India's population is? Over 1.3 billion! Do you know how many among these people are undernourished? About 14%[5]! This makes for an enormous number of a whopping 189.2 million. Further, 34.7% of children under five years of age in India are stunted, and 20% suffer from wasting1. The Global Hunger Index 2019 ranks India at 102nd position out of 117 nations. Only in a few countries in the world is the zero-hunger campaign more relevant than for India. India has sufficient, rather surplus, stocks of food grains and the largest number of hungry and malnourished people coexisting – 'grain, grain everywhere, not a grain to eat.' The country is home to 25 per cent[6] of the world's hungry population.

Source: Business-Standard

Poverty is one of the primary reasons behind the disturbing levels of hunger in India. The incidence of multidimensional poverty in India was 27.5%[7] in 2015-16. The persistently high prices of essential food items and regional disparities concerning development, especially those in the backward areas among the hills and tribes, contribute more to hunger. India has to cope with fluctuations in food grains' production, caused primarily by agro-climatic uncertainties (erratic rains, droughts, floods, disasters, etc.). We also have to minimize alienation of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, considering there has been a drop in agricultural land by 4 million hectares[8] recently.

Another reason behind this persistent hunger problem is the inefficient implementation of government schemes and policies like National Health Mission, Public Distribution System, Mid-Day meals for schools, Integrated Child Development Services (children under 6, lactating mothers, and pregnant women), and the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The NFSA intends to subsidize food grains to 50% of urban India and 75% of rural India. It also ensures diversification of crops, provides micro-irrigation facilities and ensures better prices through National Agricultural Marketing's electronic platform. However, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which calculates the yearly Hunger Index, has pointed out that many of these schemes were not successful enough in completing their responsibilities.

PRIVATE CONTRIBUTION:

Now we would look at how the businesses and organizations can support the SDG2 Zero Hunger objective. Although most UNDP goals are integrated, we would look at possibilities to promote the goal under purview. The primary responsibilities of the businesses are to provide equal and fair pay to employees. Well-paid employees would be able to provide basic amenities to their dependents, thus enabling future generations to escape extreme hunger and poverty. As mentioned above, war, loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation are the major contributors due to which a vast expanse of the population is facing chronic hunger issues. Efforts in this regard will also help in the eradication of the problem at the grass-root level. The businesses should contribute towards the social and economic development in the communities in which they operate, especially focusing on the weaker section of society's requirements and needs.

One of the companies that try to impact how the food is harvested is Indigo Drones. The Costa Rican company[9] provides aerial informatics to support and aid the farmers in making accurate agricultural processes decisions. The drones offer mapping and crop monitoring services, helping the farmers improve yield, limit their usage of pesticides, and reduce waste. This not only helps in getting better produce but also supports farmers earning a better income.

A beverage company called Pernod-Ricard[10] has also spearheaded a Nutrition Mission, which targets the SDG2 goal. Although India has surpluses of wheat and rice stocks, the challenge lies in improving access to food in some specific parts and classes of the country. There are structural inequalities based on caste, religion, gender, economic factors, and natural factors that worsen the situation. The company's nutrition mission focuses on creating collaboration with concerned stakeholders to fight undernourishment in India, supporting the initiatives targeted towards addressing adolescents and children's nutritional needs and increasing agricultural productivity to support food security. The firm also supports the mid-day meal scheme, which has seen some very positive impacts on the children's health and linked positively to the scholastic performance of the child. In the year 2019, the company provided 34,80,000 healthy and hygienic meals in Lucknow, UP.

Considering the problems already highlighted, Ultratech Cement[11] is working on addressing the issue at its core. Majorly, rural India is absorbed in agriculture, and it is observed that the youth does not want to indulge in the same. Hence, it targets improving the productivity of yield and providing vocational training to people in various domains ranging across photography, videography, motor driving, dressmaking, sewing and others. The organization has also worked on promoting the culture of community and self-help groups. The 840 self-help groups supported by the organization helps in empowering 8000 households socially and financially. Initiatives such as the Kagina Industrial Trade centres at Malkhed have helped people become self-reliant and skilled enough to secure good jobs, pull their family out of poverty and provide them food, thereby supporting the overall goal.

Companies such as Kellogs, Walmart, Cisco have adopted policies and programs in the past that help the world combat the problem of hunger. These initiatives have helped in awareness generation among the people, fund collection for the food programs, and the reach of nutritious food to society's vulnerable sections.

The governments too, have taken steps in the same direction and have framed policies that target hunger elimination, for instance, the Indian government's National Food Security Act in July 2013. This has had a positive impact with more than 60 million alleviating out of hunger and the number of undernourished people in India declining from 249.4 million in 2004-06 to 189.2 million in 2017-19[12]. 

 

THE CHALLENGES AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM:

These improvements were rapid, and we were well on track till 2015, following which the count of undernourished people across the globe have again begun to increase. According to estimates, the number of people who are hungry has risen by around 60 million in the past five years to 690 million[13]. Covid has further worsened the situation by pushing more than 100 million people on the risk of suffering from acute hunger. India's rank in the Global Hunger Index 2020 gives a clear indication that the organizations and governments are facing several challenges while working towards eliminating hunger. The Public Distribution System (PDS) in India does not seem to function with full transparency, and there have been reports of malpractices in the past. Another challenge is the correct identification of beneficiaries and ensuring that these schemes are accessible to them. Apart from this, the rising levels of unemployment and a decline in the relative income of a section of society have further added to hunger. 

 However, the above challenges can be addressed, and measures can be taken to mitigate and then eliminate the problem of world hunger. It is essential to not only provide needy with subsistence food but also make them self-reliant in the long run. According to FAO, there are four pillars of food security - Availability, Accessibility, Stability and utilization. There is a strong need to revamp and redesign food production and distribution systems to meet the first two pillars.

The first step is to provide support to the poorest of the poor to meet their survival needs. The world farmers produce enough to feed 1.5 times the global population[14] , but nearly 690 million people sleep hungry every day. To change this, it is essential to have an efficient distribution system that allows the transfer of food from areas of abundance to areas of shortage. The rationing system will play an important role in reaching the most underprivileged sections, but checks like linkage with Aadhar card and digitization need to be implemented to avoid corruption practices. This could be supplemented with the adoption of models like 'Jadavpur Jyotidevi Shramajeevi Canteen' that provides nutritious meals at low rates or fund projects so that people can afford food for themselves (one such initiative is by Heifers International[15]). 

To improve the Stability aspect, people need to be made self-reliant by providing them with sustainable income opportunities. In this regard, the initiative like Grameen Bank can play a significant role in providing self-employment opportunities and provide income to sustain themselves. Apart from credit facilities, different schemes like MGNREGA can help provide employment opportunities. Other stakeholders like NGOs can also create substantial impact by adopting initiatives like '15 Feeds a Family'[16] that feeds the poor and helps them find income generation opportunities. 

Finally, it is crucial that the food produced is utilized by the section that most needs it. This calls for forming a robust information system to keep track of the progress. To achieve this goal, it is important to complement government efforts with private sector initiatives. A report by the Boston Consulting Group estimates that solving the problem of food loss and wastage is a $700 billion opportunity for private companies[17]. Hence, the government should frame policies that encourage these companies to come forward and eliminate this issue. A combined action by all stakeholders will help realize the goal of Zero Hunger and move towards a more sustainable, efficient and happy world.

 

 

 

 

 

 


[1] 2017 HLPF Thematic Review of SDG 2

[2] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

[3] World Food Programme

[4] The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020

[5] State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020, Report by FAO

[6] https://in.one.un.org/task-teams/zero-hunger-challenge/

[7] UNDP’s and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative’s Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index, 2018

[8] https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2018/jul/28/depleting-groundwater-shrinks-indias-agricultural-lands-government-data-1849994.html

[9] https://indigodrones.com/

[10] https://assets.pernod-ricard.com/in/pri_csr_program_report_august_2019.pdf

[11] https://www.ultratechcement.com/about-us/sustainability/csr

[12] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/number-of-undernourished-people-declines-in-india-obesity-in-adults-on-the-rise-un-report/article32075399.ece

[13] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

[14] https://medium.com/@jeremyerdman/we-produce-enough-food-to-feed-10-billion-people-so-why-does-hunger-still-exist-8086d2657539

[15] https://www.heifer.org/

[16] https://www.classy.org/campaign/15-feeds-a-family/c286607

[17] https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/tackling-1.6-billion-ton-food-loss-and-waste-crisis

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