International measures to effectively fight hunger face challenges such as lack of investment. The multiple global crises are also an obstacle, but the solutions could come from civil society.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that 733 million people in the world are facing hunger and 2.8 billion people do not have access to healthy food. The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that currently citizens of 16 states-including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, the State of Palestine and Ukraine-are facing humanitarian emergencies caused by conflicts that have deepened the shortage of adequate food and other conditions of vulnerability.
In addition to the growing instability in several regions of the world, the climate emergency is also imposing severe restrictions on food production. In 2024, the UN issued a warning that even with the positive economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people living in conditions of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition continues to rise in many countries. It is likely that the global nutrition goals will not be met by 2030, affecting mainly women, young people, and indigenous communities.
José Graziano da Silva, an internationally recognized agronomist who works on food security and nutritional development, is the founder of Instituto Fome Zero (Zero Hunger Institute), which aims to preserve the history of Brasil's fight against hunger and pursue global measures.
Graziano argues that three obstacles prevent advances in global measures against hunger and poverty: the low priority of actions through international cooperation; the lack of available resources; and the challenges of implementing international public policies. "Currently, less than 20% of the resources from cooperative actions are allocated to this, except for those directed towards emergency situations in conflicts, especially now in Gaza and Sudan," he said.
The expert also notes that the lack of resources mainly affects the poorest countries, which have the highest rates of food insecurity, as funds that could be invested in addressing this issue are instead used to pay international debts.
"One solution that is being discussed would be debt relief and reducing interest rates, because these countries have more difficulty repaying their debts and consequently have to pay higher interest rates without being able to offer guarantees. This creates a twofold pernicious mechanism: they have to pay and also pay higher interest rates. That would be a solution to alleviate the current lack of resources," proposes Graziano.
Taxing the super rich to fight hunger
Based on the scenario of the lack of international resources for actions to fight hunger and poverty, Graziano stresses that changes in tax policies are fundamental, such as the proposal for a minimum tax for billionaires. But he points out that these mechanisms can take decades to be implemented and eradicating people's hunger is an immediate action.
"By then, as stated by Keynes (John Maynard Keynes, British economist 1883-1946), we'll all be dead. Solving the problem of lack of resources is not a long-term issue; it is an immediate issue. If we don't solve it, millions of people in the world will continue to starve to death. There are three actions that could solve the problem in the short term: debt relief for the poorest countries, reducing interest rates on loans to these countries, or even exempting them from interest," he argues.
Solving the problem of lack of resources is not a long-term issue; it is an immediate issue. If we don't solve it, millions of people in the world will continue to starve to death. There are three actions that could solve the problem in the short term: debt relief for the poorest countries, reducing interest rates on loans to these countries, or even exempting them from interest," he argues.
Solutions from civil society and territories
Kiko Afonso is the executive director of Ação da Cidadania (Citizenship Action), a non-governmental organization founded by sociologist Herbert de Souza, known as Betinho, and since the 1990s has been leading several actions to eradicate hunger and poverty in Brasil.
He emphasized that civil society organizations can bring significant improvements to existing policies, based on practical experiences and especially in dialogue with communities in the territories. For Afonso, they operate in fundamental articulations "to help governments to tackle problems, but also have a critical and evaluative role regarding the public policies implemented".
"One organization alone can't solve the problem of hunger. We need to fight for public policies to be effective. Any organization that works on issues related to hunger, health and human rights must always be allied to a very strong commitment to public policies that can definitively improve society's social issues," says Afonso.
Agricultural monoculture and hunger
Information from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reveals that only nine plant species account for 66% of global crop production. The UN also estimates that intensive agriculture compromises the biodiversity of territories and, consequently, agrifood systems and food production. It points out that there is an urgent need to transform the global food system in order to guarantee food and nutritional security and end hunger.
"The capture of food security and food production mechanisms by large corporations has played a fundamental role in reducing the production of healthy food in the world. This pressure from typical commodity countries leads to the poorest countries succumbing and destroying their local food crops to serve the wealthy global market. The world needs to understand that food production must not be carried out ignoring the consequences. We need to preserve the producing countries as well, otherwise we'll destroy the health of their population and the environment," warns Kiko Afonso.
Brasil's experience as a model
In 2014, Brasil left the hunger map due to strong public policies, which included increasing access to income, sustainable family farming, and guaranteeing the right to food. In one decade, the country reduced the number of people living in conditions of hunger and food insecurity from 32 million to 3 million. However, the change in policy direction in recent years, with the extinction of mechanisms that were fundamental to changing the country's scenario and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the country's economy, led to the return of high poverty rates in Brasil.
Only in 2023 did the country return to implementing consistent measures to reduce hunger and poverty, but it remains a leader in public policies for this purpose and continues to shares its successful experiences in global forums. In one year, 14.7 million Brazilians were lifted out of hunger. "We had already learned how to implement this policy, and the impact was impressive, drastically reducing the number of people living in hunger. For the world, it's a demonstration that these public policies can make a difference in transforming a society," says Afonso.
According to Graziano, the Fome Zero Program, the Brazilian model for combating food insecurity created in 2003, has attracted worldwide attention due to its multifaceted approach. Among other things, the Program promoted an increase in the minimum wage, the creation of better quality jobs and specific social welfare programs such as Bolsa Família.
The expert also highlights the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) as Brazilian initiatives that are being replicated internationally. "The PAA, especially when combined with the school feeding program, ensures that the population has access to better quality and healthier products," he concludes.
