Zero Hunger is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, with the aim of creating a world free of hunger by 2030. The official wording is: "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture". Zero Hunger highlights the complex inter-linkages between food security, nutrition, rural transformation, and sustainable agriculture.

The global issue of hunger and food insecurity has shown an alarming increase since 2015, with 2 billion people in the world not having regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. In 2022, 148 million children had stunted growth, and 45 million children under the age of 5 were affected by wasting. It is projected that more than 600 million people worldwide will be facing hunger in 2030, highlighting the immense challenge of achieving the zero hunger target.

To achieve Zero Hunger by 2030, urgent coordinated action and policy solutions are imperative to address entrenched inequalities, transform food systems, invest in sustainable agricultural practices, and reduce and mitigate the impact of conflict and the pandemic on global nutrition and food security. Some initiatives that can help achieve Zero Hunger include:

• School Feeding Programs: In many countries, school feeding programs provide children with nutritious meals during the school day, which can improve their health and academic performance. School feeding programs help address malnutrition, increase food security, encourage school enrollment, and support local food production.

• Food Recovery Programs: These initiatives collect surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, and other sources and distribute it to people in need. These programs help to reduce food waste, improve food access, support vulnerable populations, and provide emergency relief when needed.

A world with Zero Hunger can positively impact our economies, health, education, equality, and social development. Additionally, with hunger limiting human development, we will not be able to achieve the other sustainable development goals such as education, health, and gender equality.