NEW YORK, N.Y. (Sept. 26, 2024) – More support and action are urgently needed to tackle the worsening global hunger and malnutrition crisis, exacerbated by climate change and other challenges, according to a side panel at the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.
The world is facing a food and nutrition crisis, as economic challenges stemming from COVID-19, conflict, and climate change have reversed progress toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2, which seeks to eliminate global hunger by 2030. Today’s panel event, hosted by Farm Journal Foundation, Catholic Relief Services, and Caritas Internationalis brought together leaders to discuss global malnutrition challenges and solutions that can address the root causes of food and nutrition insecurity.
"Healthy diets are the core goal of global food systems. It is critical that we start planning and investing in sustainable agriculture and soil health with nutrition as our North Star,” said Dr. Cary Fowler, the U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security and the event’s keynote speaker.
Dr. Fowler was joined at today’s event by the Honorable Samuel Kawale, Minister of Agriculture for Malawi; the Honorable Brieuc Pont, French Special Envoy for Nutrition; Shawn Baker, Chief Program Officer at Helen Keller International; Dr. Jessica Fanzo, Professor of Climate and Director of the Food for Humanity Initiative at Columbia University’s Climate School; Valerie Davis, Senior Technical Advisor, Agriculture - Gender and Nutrition at Catholic Relief Services; Donald Moore, Executive Director at Global Dairy Platform; and Dr. Purnima Menon, Senior Director for Food and Nutrition at CGIAR’s International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The event, titled “Advancing Global Solutions: Elevating Nutrition to Reduce Hunger and Poverty,” was held as leaders from all 193 UN member states gathered for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
Currently, 10 percent of the global population experiences hunger, and three billion people are unable to afford a well-balanced, healthy diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and animal-sourced foods, according to a recent Farm Journal Foundation report. Climate change is a driving factor in global nutrition outcomes, with more extreme weather events disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries where large proportions of the population rely on agriculture to make a living.
Because of this, the goals of this event are to strengthen nutrition governance, make sure women and children are at the focus, elevate the role of agriculture and nutrition on a global scale, and continue to prioritize investments in agricultural research and innovation.
"Nutrition is sometimes overlooked when we talk about agriculture and climate change, but it is an issue that we must collectively prioritize and address if we want to help smallholder farmers around the world improve their food security and livelihoods,” said Farm Journal Foundation CEO Tricia Beal. “I'm glad that we are able to partner with our friends at Catholic Relief Services and with all of the excellent speakers and participants in this event to put nutrition in the spotlight."
“Our research shows that boosting food production alone won’t solve malnutrition. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture needs more funding, leadership, and coordination to address climate change's impact on food systems and nutrition security,” said Emily Wei, policy director at Catholic Relief Services. “Nutrition equity is crucial, as income, gender, and social status affect access to healthy food, with women and girls facing significant challenges. With funding from Farm Journal Foundation, we’re exploring ways to improve nutrition and health outcomes for communities.”
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Whitney McFerron, Vice President of Communications
Farm Journal Foundation
About Farm Journal Foundation
Farm Journal Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to advance global food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, and rural economic development. The Foundation believes in a future where food systems work for everyone – farmers, consumers, economies, and the environment. Achieving this vision starts with conversations – bringing all voices to the table to discuss challenges to our global food systems and how we can create tangible, innovative solutions that serve us all. To learn more, visit www.farmjournalfoundation.org.
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