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	Zero hunger remains a distant reality for far too many by Hilal Elver Special Rapporteur on the right to food   To reach the goal of 'zero hunger' that remains a distant reality for tens of millions of people, States, international organizations and civil society must adopt a holistic, coordinated and rights-based approach with increased participation of those most affected, said a UN expert in a report presented to the Human Rights Council.   'Realizing the right to food requires more than just eliminating hunger and malnutrition; it also requires guaranteeing access to nutritious, adequate food and promoting the survival of smallholder farmers and rural communities', said Hilal Elver, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food.   In her final report to the Council, the Special Rapporteur provides guidance on recommended actions for realizing the right to food given trends towards globalization and commodification of food systems.   'The current industrial agricultural model mistreats animals, emits greenhouse gases, relies on toxic pesticides, pollutes ecosystems, displaces and abuses agricultural workers and fisher folk, and disrupts traditional farming communities', the expert says.   'Put simply, the human rights of women, children, migrants, indigenous peoples, peasants, and small holder farmers are often violated'.   In light of these disturbing trends and challenges, Elver recommended responsible investment and stronger support for agroecology that de-emphasize intensive production methods that can jeopardize environmental sustainability and undermine the wellbeing of communities.   She also recommended a holistic, coordinated and rights-based approach to the elimination of hunger and malnutrition with increased participation and involvement of those most affected.   'We need robust protections for human rights defenders and members of the scientific community who are facing increased attacks in the face of emerging nationalism, populism and predatory global capitalism'.   In her report, the expert notes that States must avoid the adoption of economic policies that deregulate food markets, as well as austerity measures that impose hardships on vulnerable communities and accentuate inequality. 'These policies can lead to economic, social and political instability', she said.   During the six years of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur witnessed increased hunger worldwide and sought to draw particular attention to the fate of populations living on the brink of starvation that now threatens 113 million people. Severe conflicts and emergency situations, including those linked to geopolitical tensions and climate change, are exacerbating these conditions.   'States, individuals, and all perpetrators must be held accountable for the deliberate violation of the right to food and the crime of starvation', Elver said. Visit the related web page
	Global Hunger Index 2020 by Concern Worldwide, agencies   Hunger persists in many countries, and in some instances, progress is being reversed. Of the countries for which data relevant to all four Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicators are available, three countries – Chad, Timor-Leste, and Madagascar – suffer from a level of hunger that is alarming (the second highest level on the GHI scale).   Based on other known data, alarming hunger levels have also been identified in another eight countries. Hunger is at serious levels in 31 countries and categorised as serious in another nine countries.   For 14 countries in the moderate, serious or alarming categories, hunger and malnutrition has worsened since 2012 – driven by conflict, poverty, inequality, poor health, and climate change.   On a global level, the prevalence of undernourishment has stagnated since 2015. These levels are greatest in countries in Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia. Even in some countries without hunger crises at the national level, marginalised groups and selected regions face tragically high levels of hunger and undernutrition.   While the 2020 GHI does not yet reflect the impacts of COVID-19, it shows that the situation is already worrying in many contexts and is likely to worsen in the years to come.   The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of our globalised food systems, their inherent inequities, and their inadequacy to the task of achieving Zero Hunger. This year's report focuses on the threat to human, animal, and environmental health posed by these food systems.   Although the commitment to reach Zero Hunger by 2030 is a fundamental ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals, our hard-won gains are under threat or being reversed.   The 2020 GHI shows that multiple countries have higher hunger levels now than in 2012, and approximately 37 countries are set to fail to achieve low levels of hunger by 2030.   Additional countries, for which data were insufficient to calculate 2030 projections, may also fall short of this goal.   “The 2020 GHI findings highlight the food insecurity challenges facing low-income countries as they battle multiple crises,” write Robyn Alders, Osman Dar, Richard Kock, and Francesco Rampa of Chatham House.   "At this crucial moment, we must act to reshape our food systems as fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly in order to address the current crises, prevent other health and food crises from occurring, and chart a path to Zero Hunger by 2030."   This year’s GHI shows that many countries still require urgent attention. Alarming levels of hunger exist in three countries, Chad, Timor-Leste, and Madagascar. Countries with incomplete data are provisionally categorised according to the GHI Severity Scale based on existing data and complementary reports.   According to this, alarming hunger has also been provisionally identified in another eight countries: Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.   Several of these countries are experiencing unrest or violent conflict, which affects the availability of data as well as the food and nutrition situation in the country.   It is quite possible that one or more of these countries would have a higher GHI score than Chad – the country with the highest 2020 GHI score – if sufficient data were available.   It is crucial to strengthen data collection to gain a clearer picture of food and nutrition security in every country so that actions designed to eliminate hunger can be adapted to conditions on the ground.   http://www.concern.net/insights/global-hunger-index-2021 http://www.globalhungerindex.org/ http://www.alliance2015.org/alliance2015-research-on-covid-19-country-reports/ http://www.alliance2015.org/multi-country-research-on-covid-19/ http://www.alliance2015.org/ Visit the related web page
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