End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
The world is on the verge of a global food crisis. More than 800 million people suffered from hunger in 2021, while some 2.4 billion lacked regular access to nutritious food, numbers only made worse by conflicts, including in Ukraine, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Goal 2 and the environment
Food production is intimately linked to nature. Without healthy soils, clean rivers, and abundant pollinators, there is no way the planet will be able to feed its 8 billion human inhabitants. Unfortunately, the rapid decline of the natural world is putting at risk the food and water systems that sustain humanity. The climate crisis could leave 600 million more people in Africa facing malnutrition, while an additional 1.8 billion people globally may face water shortages. At the same time, a bevy of unsustainable agricultural practices – including the clear cutting of forests and the over-intensification of farming – are making it harder to produce food in the long term. The disappearance of pollinators, like bees, which are critical to more than 75 per cent of food crops, also augurs ill for the world’s food systems.
UNEP’s work on Goal 2
The way the world produces food is broken. The unsustainable expansion of agriculture is devastating once-wild spaces and driving the climate crisis, helping to push 1 million species towards extinction. At the same time, the world is facing record levels of obesity and spiraling hunger. UNEP is working to transform the global food system, making it work better for both people and the planet. UNEP does this through a multi-pronged approach that focuses on improving nutrition, limiting food waste, and promoting regenerative and resilient agriculture. UNEP’s work is informed by the One Health doctrine, a globally recognized strategy designed to improve the health of people, animals and the environment.
UNEP Sustainable Food Systems Programme
The programme raises awareness about the often-devastating environmental toll of food production while helping local, regional and national governments make their food systems more sustainable.
Rethinking the World’s Food Systems
This guide by the UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) includes practical tips designed to foster collaboration between multiple groups interested in transforming food systems.
This report explores how governments and other stakeholders can create more sustainable cold chains for food.
News and Stories
