SDG#2 Zero Hunger

SDG#2 - Zero Hunger

07 October 2022

As we are approaching winter amid the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, many families in the UK and worldwide fear that they will need to choose between heating their homes or putting food on the table. Globally, many don’t have a choice: 690 million people go hungry everyday accounting for almost 9% of the population. This number is up by 10 million since 2018 and throws society way off the goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030.

Without a healthy, nutritious diet, people are weak and prone to illness. They cannot contribute to society as they would like to, and they cannot work to make a living for themselves and their families. This makes Zero Hunger step 0 towards sustainable development – a process that needs everyone to contribute the best they have.

Climatic change, conflict, and economic recession are among the main reasons for people’s lack of access to food while the Covid-19 pandemic aggravated the situation for many who were already at the brink of poverty and malnourishment. With hunger being the leading cause of death in the world treating symptoms in the form of food and humanitarian aid is important but if we are to eradicate hunger, a sharp change of direction is needed in the global food and agricultural system.

Food security lays at the intersection of a complex range of factors ranging from social protection and safeguarding food to protecting children, bridging the urban-rural economic divide, and gender equality. Accordingly, Zero Hunger encompasses ending hunger and malnutrition but also increasing farmer productivity, investing in small, and sustainable agricultural entities, establishing a fair and sustainable global trade system, and fostering innovative research.

As businesses we have a responsibility for the immediate and wider communities we operate in and we must ensure that our practices and business choices do not harm people, or the planet.

Feed the local hungry

The majority of the world’s undernourished are found in Asia and Africa, but we do not have to go far to find people who are hungry. Since Covid, the number of food insecure households in England has grown steadily. As the war in Ukraine – a huge agricultural entity – enters its 8th month costs for farmers continue to rise driving up inflation and consumer goods’ prices. This further increased the demand for food banks’ services who battle supply issues. With a financially challenging winter ahead for everyone, those reliant on food banks for a decent diet might face being turned away as demand grows. Since April donations dried up across the country leaving distributors no choice but to reduce portions and shut doors on the hungriest. Support your local food bank with both donations and capacity. Organise employee food drives once a week by encouraging everyone to bring non-perishables for #FoodFriday.

Prevent food waste and work against food loss

Just as we think about conserving energy or reducing our use of paper in the office, we should think about reducing food waste as well. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, annually 14% of all food lost during harvest and retail, while an additional 17% is wasted in consumption. Valuable energy and labour are wasted on producing food that ends up back in landfill. Not only does this amount for huge volumes of GHG emissions but it greatly impacts our ability to feed everyone.

Educate your employees and the wider public about why food loss and food waste are harmful for both society and the environment and aid them in preventing it. A monthly green bulletin to all employees goes a long way while workshops on how to utilise leftovers or scrap food to prevent throwing anything away is a fun way to engage your team. Advocating for causes such as the prevention of overconsumption and food waste on your website will also make your consumers think while also setting you aside from the competition as a socially conscious enterprise.

Tying into the previous point, donate any surplus food you might have in the office to a local organisation.

Support the global hungry

A large share of farmers – especially in the developing world – are small-scale producers. These enterprises scarcely make enough to become self-sustaining as their land ownership and trade rights are too often restricted and disempowering. Especially women-owned rural farms struggle to compete with large-scale, unsustainable production.

As a small or medium sized business you might not think that your fairly small supply chain will have any impact on the bigger picture. But SMEs make up around 90% of all businesses and none of us can afford to think like that. An ethical supply chain can make the difference in the life of a small-scale producer on whether or not they are able to buy food for their children. Think about where you source your materials from and what you are supporting through paying for produce. Even if you are not directly involved in food production, when you organise cafeteria meals or catering, consider where the food is coming from. Simultaneously, always be conscious of where leftovers are going.

The above account bears witness to just how important it is to go back to and reflect on the very foundation of a healthy, productive society. Our current practices around cultivation, production, distribution, and wastage leave many hungry, and the ecosystem suffering. While we work to relieve those in immediate need, we also need to rethink global agrifood systems. Voting with your money as a customer, or with your business choices as an entrepreneur are first steps towards an efficient and sustainable global food network.

Our blog exploring the UN’s changing focus on the Sustainable Development Goals is published monthly - making the SDGs relevant and applicable to every day business life. Recent pieces look at the final acceleration in the Decade of Action, the importance of social protection and an inclusive economy, or at how biodiversity is both an urban and business issue.

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