Early in May 2012 the Secretary-General reviewed the progress of intergovernmental negotiations on food and nutrition security for the Rio + 20 outcome document. He decided that increased advocacy in this area is needed. Together with FAO, FAO and IFAD he went on developing a set of crisp messages: the UN Secretary General’s Zero Hunger Challenge.
The challenge is a distillation of the core elements of the HLTF’s Comprehensive Framework For Action and, specifically, the HLTF’s March 2012 common position on ways to realize food and nutrition security through sustainable agriculture and food systems. The challenge has five specific elements but is a combination of all of them. Each element is relevant to the current food and nutrition security agenda
The Zero Hunger Challenge is designed to enable the Secretary General to initiate powerful and high-level advocacy for a major advance in global efforts on food and nutrition security. If it works as intended it will encourage different stakeholders – governments, regional organizations, farmers, business, civil society, donors, foundations and the research community – to put aside some of their differences and move towards agreement on the critical elements that could feature in the Rio + 20 political declaration and follow-up process.
The Zero Hunger Challenge is a collection of five aspirations:
1. 100% access to adequate food all year round
2. Zero stunted children under 2 years
3. All food systems are sustainable
4. 100% growth in smallholder productivity and income
5. Zero loss or waste of food
