The number of undernourished people has dropped by almost half in the past two decades because of rapid economic growth and increased agricultural productivity. Many developing countries that used to suffer from famine and hunger can now meet their nutritional needs. Central and East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean have all made huge progress in eradicating extreme hunger.
Unfortunately, extreme hunger and malnutrition remain a huge barrier to development in many countries. There are 821 million people estimated to be chronically undernourished as of 2017, often as a direct consequence of environmental degradation, drought and biodiversity loss.
Over 90 million children under five are dangerously underweight. Undernourishment and severe food insecurity appear to be increasing in almost all regions of Africa, as well as in South America.
The SDGs aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people–especially children–have sufficient and nutritious food all year. This involves promoting sustainable agricultural, supporting small-scale farmers and equal access to land, technology and markets. It also requires international cooperation to ensure investment in infrastructure and technology to improve agricultural productivity.
Facts and Figures
57%
Food insecurity: most low earners spend 57 percent of their incomes on food
27.8%
27.8% of Namibia’s population was food insecure, with rural communities, women and small holder farmers being mostly affected (2016/2017)
Strategic Initiatives include adoption of the Blue Print on Wealth Redistribution and Poverty Eradication, Creation of Food Banks, -School Feeding Programmes & Adoption of the National Zero Hunger Road Map
Indicators and Results
2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment
National Definition – UN SDG Definition
2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
- (T)
- (M)
- (F)
- (U)
- (R)
2.2.1 Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
National Definition – UN SDG Definition
- a) (T)
- a) (M)
- a) (F)
- a) (U)
- a) (R)
- b) (T)
- b) (M)
- b) (F)
- b) (U)
- b) (R)
2.2.2 Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
National Definition – UN SDG Definition
2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.
- Millet
- White Maize
- Wheat
2.3.1 Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
National Definition – Average yield of agricultural production per ha planted for Maize, Sorghum and Millet
2.3.2 Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
National Definition – Annual Consumption per capita for persons whose main source of income is subsistence farming
2.5 By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species ,including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.
2.5.1 Number of plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium – or long-term conservation facilities
National Definition – Plant breeds for which sufficient genetic resources are stored
- a)
- b)
2.5.2 Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk, not at risk or at unknown level of risk of extinction
National Definition – a) Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction b) Proportion of local breeds classified as being not-at-risk of extinction
2.a Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries.
2.a.1 The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures
National Definition – UN SDG Definition
2.a.2 Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector
National Definition – UN SDG Definition
2.b Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round.
- a)
- b)
2.b.1 Agricultural export subsidies
National Definition – a) Export subsidies budgetary outlays and quantities b) Official compliance with WTO Export Subsidies Regulation, coverage per years from 2000 to 2015
2.c Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility.
- a)
- b)
2.c.1 Indicator of food price anomalies
National Definition – a) Indicator of Food Price Anomalies (IFPA), millet b) Indicator of Food Price Anomalies (IFPA), wheat