Context - the issue is not about food production - globally there is enough food available for 12 billion people to eat today - so the issue is more of distribution. In this distribution, the issue is about power and access. Today more people are overweight and obese, rather than hungry - so again the issue is not solely limited to one facet it is multi-faceted. Clearly it is important to worry about the hungry and ensure global systems care for them; but there is a growing cost to society in treating the consequences of over-eating and obesity as well which must not be forgotten.
Theme 1 - the MDGs have been a clumsy way of setting development targets. An imposed global target leads to bad dvelopment; doing the thing the wrong way to get the right result (short-term fixes over permanent solutions). Targets need to contain social and environmental considerations and fit the context of a nation or region, and cannot work well from a global perspective.
Theme 2 - Food Sovereignty as a framework marks the way forward from where we are now. The world knows how to build a suitable food production system and it is set out in the ISTAAD report, that has been conveniently ignored, by those who should take notice, for too long.
Theme 3 - The four goals of the Zero Hunger Challenge (A, B C and E) are clear and understandable. Goal D doesn't make any sense as written as there are too many implicit variables within it. "80% food produced by smallholders" is clearer.
For the Zero Hunger challenge to be truly global, the counterpoint to hunger needs to be incorporated. For example target B ought to include and "Zero obese children under the age of five years old".
This thematic discussion was led by FAO and WFP in collaboration with “The World We Want”.
The consultation was facilitated by the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)