Pandemic derails zero hunger goal — think tank

MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the barriers in the goal of achieving zero hunger in developing economies, highlighting the need to reboot systems to ensure food security for all.

Tokyo-based Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the multilateral lender’s think tank, said global food insecurity has been exacerbated not just because of the health crisis but due to other factors as well.

“Numerous impediments, such as population growth, climate change, food wastage, and global shocks, are pushing the goal of zero hunger farther away,” ADBI said.

One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030 and ensure that all people – especially children – have sufficient and nutritious food all year.

Last year was supposed to be the start of a decade of action to accelerate progress on the SDGs, but the pandemic threatened prospects for achieving the goal.

In fact, an additional 140 million people last year fell into extreme poverty, leading to a surge in food insecurity and undernourishment.

In the Philippines, the hunger rate reached an all-time high of 21.2 percent as Filipinos failed to gain access to available food.

“The restrictions affected the global food supply chain, leading to a rise in prices juxtaposed with massive job losses, thus making food inaccessible and unaffordable,” ADBI said.

“The threat posed by food insecurity is particularly palpable in developing countries, which lack the resources, infrastructure, technology and institutions to bolster the agricultural industry,” it said.

Nearly 10 percent of the global population or 690 million people currently suffer from hunger and this could potentially increase to 840 million by 2030 if no action will be done.

ADBI emphasized that accelerated population growth would not only increase the demand for food but would also increase pressure on the already scarce natural resources that are fundamental to food production.

Unfortunately, the global food supply chain loses a third of total food production, or about 1.3 billion metric tons yearly, and may rise to some two billion MT due to poor agriculture practices, post-harvest handling, processing, distribution and food preparation.

To address the problem, ADBI maintained that sustainable food systems are at the core of achieving the zero hunger goal, which demands the replacement of exploitative methods of producing food with more efficient, resilient and eco-friendly systems.

In the agriculture sector, ADBI said it is necessary to adopt climate-smart practices to achieve agricultural sustainability in the context of climate change and natural resource degradation.

“Improving rural resilience through investment in technology, infrastructure, and food system diversification is equally imperative. Urbanization, markets, and access to information can also influence food security,” ADBI said.

“The need of the hour is to find pragmatic and inclusive solutions to enhance sustainable agricultural productivity and bolster the global food supply chain,” it said.