Rallying for a World Without Hunger
What would a world without hunger look like? Can you imagine it? Norman Borlaug, the “Father of the Green Revolution,” imagined that a world free of hunger would be a world free of war. Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, he quoted Lord John Boyd Orr, “You can’t build peace on empty stomachs!”
Feeding the estimated 842 million chronically hungry on Earth can be intimidating. It’s not so easy as sending boxes of food or even subsidizing fertilizer to farmers. At times, the task feels impossible.
But there is good news! In 2012, the United Nations launched the Zero Hunger Challenge. Organizations and individuals are rallying together and committing themselves to the Challenge, which posits that we can eliminate hunger in our lifetimes. IFDC is proud to commit to the Challenge – as helping the hungry feed themselves drives our work around the world.
Five elements comprise the Challenge:
- Zero stunted children less than 2 years
- 100% access to adequate nutritious food all year round
- All food systems are sustainable
- 100% increase in smallholder productivity and income
- Zero loss or waste of food
For any one person, organization or government, achieving these goals is impossible. Each of us offers unique skills and expertise, and only a lockstep effort can end world hunger. Initiatives such as the Zero Hunger Challenge rally us together, fix our eyes on the goals and keep us accountable to society and to each other. Working as one, we can imagine a world without hunger.
What would that world look like to you?
To see how IFDC is accomplishing the Challenge’s five elements, view our latest animated infographic.