SDG 2: Zero Hunger

BEYOND HUNGER

Understanding the Hidden Dimensions of Food Insecurity

What if hunger
was more than
empty plates?

Why Beyond Hunger?

Hunger is more than the absence of food. It is a structural challenge that touches every aspect of human life. It affects health, education, stability, and development.

When we talk about hunger, we must go beyond empty plates and address the systemic barriers that keep millions from accessing safe, sufficient, and nutritious food.

Over 735 million people faced chronic hunger in 2023.

2.4 billion people
lacked
regular access to adequate food.

1 out of 10 people in the world go hungry.

Food insecurity is rising in both conflict zones and stable economies, proving it is not only a problem
of war or displacement, but also of inequality and affordability.

4 in 10 people cannot afford a healthy diet.

Beyond Calories: Malnutrition in All Its Forms

  • STUNTING AND WASTING CHILDREN.

  • HIDDEN HUNGER, ESPECIALLY IRON, VITAMIN A, IODINE.

  • NOW AFFECTING OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, OFTEN IN THE SAME COUNTRIES WHERE UNDERNUTRITION PERSISTS.

The Cost of Inaction

Food insecurity drives cycles of poverty and instability.

  • HIGHER RATES OF DISEASE, MATERNAL MORTALITY, AND LIFELONG COGNITIVE IMPACTS.

  • CHILDREN WHO GO TO SCHOOL HUNGRY STRUGGLE TO LEARN.

  • UNDERNUTRITION REDUCES NATIONAL GDP BY UP TO 3% ANNUALLY.

  • FOOD INSECURITY FUELS MIGRATION, DISPLACEMENT, AND CONFLICT OVER RESOURCES.

Who is most affected?

Women and girls are more likely to eat last and least in households.

Children under 5 are most vulnerable to stunting and wasting.

70% of the world’s hungry live in conflict zones.

Farmers often face hunger themselves, despite producing food.

What Needs to Change?

Addressing hunger requires sytemic solutions.

Social Protection

School meals, food vouchers, targeted cash transfers.

Food Systems

Support smallholder farmers and promote climate-smart agriculture.

Affordable Nutrition

Policies that make healthy food more affordable and accessible.

Data & Monitoring

Better indicators to track not only calories, but also nutrition and equity.

Moving Forward: From Hunger to Food Security


Ending hunger is not charity. It is an investment in stability and development. Ensuring universal access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food is fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The message is clear : ending hunger means tackling inequality, strengthening systems, and ensuring that no one is left behind.

A world beyond hunger is possible — if we act now.

#foodsecurity is a shared responsibility!