At the heart of the 2030 Agenda was a promise to prioritize two objectives: to eradicate poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in all their forms. While global hunger, measured by the prevalence of undernourishment, had been on the decline, the absolute number of hungry people remained very high. In response, heads of states at the G7 Summit in Elmau in 2015 committed to lift 500 million people out of hunger and malnutrition by 2030 as part of a broader effort undertaken with partner countries to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, i.e. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2) to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Nevertheless, the number of undernourished people in the world kept rising, from 653 million people in 2015 to 690 million people in 2019, highlighting the challenge of achieving the goal of Zero Hunger and malnutrition by 2030. This study reviews the food security situation and change therein in light of recent developments, including COVID-19. It also analyses to which extent G7 countries responded to the challenge and their commitment in terms of development assistance and outlines promising investment opportunities to meet the 2030 targets.

SDG2 links food security, nutrition and a sustainable but climate resilient agriculture. This multi-dimensional goal encompasses several specific targets and indicators, aimed at ending hunger, improving nutrition and achieving food security through sustainable and resilient agriculture and income increase.

This illustrated volume identifies the challenges and opportunities facing food and agriculture in the context of the 2030 Agenda, presents solutions for a more sustainable world and shows how FAO has been working in recent years to support its Member Nations in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This brief examines estimates produced by several recent model simulations and frameworks that focus on the cost of ending hunger as well as progress toward other development goals—estimates that range from US$7 billion to US$265 billion per year. The differences among these estimates are largely attributable to the different targeted objectives and policy questions of each modeling exercise, different investment strategies considered, and varying assumptions about the role of different sectors in reducing hunger.

New evidence this year corroborates the rise in world hunger observed in this report last year, sending a warning that more action is needed if we aspire to end world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. Updated estimates show the number of people who suffer from hunger has been growing over the past three years, returning to prevailing levels from almost a decade ago. Although progress continues to be made in reducing child stunting, over 22 percent of children under five years of age are still affected. Other forms of malnutrition are also growing: adult obesity continues to increase in countries irrespective of their income levels, and many countries are coping with multiple forms of malnutrition at the same time – overweight and obesity, as well as anaemia in women, and child stunting and wasting.

This publication demonstrates the benefits of neglected and underutilized species, including amaranth, sorghum and cowpea, and their potential contribution to achieving Zero Hunger in South and Southeast Asia.