SDG Goal 2: End hunger and malnutrition

The SDG2 goal of the UN 2030 Agenda aims to end hunger and malnutrition worldwide by promoting sustainable agriculture and food security. Despite some significant progress in several countries, around 800 million people worldwide still suffer from undernourishment and malnutrition, most of them women and children. The goal for 2030 is to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition in the world. Around 70 per cent of people suffering from malnutrition depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods, meaning that smallholder farmers are also at risk of malnutrition.

Despite international efforts, hunger and malnutrition remain a major problem in Germany. According to Welthungerhilfe, around 690 million people worldwide were affected by hunger in 2021. In Germany, too, the number of people suffering from poverty and food insecurity is alarming. According to the 2021 Poverty Report published by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, around 13.2 million people were at risk of or affected by poverty in 2020, including 2.8 million children. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the situation. The number of food bank users in Germany rose 2in 2020 by 20 per cent compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, there are also initiatives in this country, such as food banks and the "Plates not Bins" movement, which campaign against food waste and in favour of a fairer distribution of food. However, it remains a challenge to ensure a balanced and healthy diet for everyone in Germany.

The youngest children are also on the agenda. According to the United Nations, 6.9 per cent of children under the age of five suffered from malnutrition before the pandemic; the percentage rises to 21.4 per cent if children who are physically underdeveloped due to a lack of food are included. According to Save the Children, 5.7 million children under the age of five are currently at risk of food insecurity, a figure that is 50 per cent higher than in 2019. Given these figures, one of the goals of the Agenda is to eliminate all forms of undernutrition and malnutrition. In addition, malnutrition in children under the age of five must be ended by 2025. Other particularly vulnerable groups are adolescent girls, pregnant and breastfeeding women and older people.

Another important aspect of achieving the goal of ending hunger and ensuring safe access to nutritious food for all is sustainable agriculture. SDG Goal 2 aims to double the agricultural productivity of small-scale producers by 2030 while ensuring the income of women, indigenous peoples and farming, pastoralist and fishing families. To achieve this goal and ensure environmental sustainability, resilient agricultural practices must be introduced and the genetic diversity of plants and livestock must be promoted. In this context, 3Bee is committed to promoting sustainable agriculture through the XNatura project, which allows agricultural producers to certify their impact on biodiversity and contribute to the preservation of local ecosystems.

Companies play a key role in the implementation of SDG 2: through their investment and innovation capacity, they can help promote sustainable agriculture and ensure access to food for all. In particular, agribusinesses can apply sustainable production and distribution practices, support small-scale producers and promote the genetic diversity of crops and livestock. Companies can also invest in technologies and innovations to improve production efficiency and reduce food waste. In addition, they can work with local communities and international organisations to tackle the challenges of food access and food insecurity. Businesses must therefore act sustainably to actively contribute to the realisation of Goal 2.

To summarise, Goal 2 of the 2030 Agenda is an important step in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Eradicating hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture are goals that require a joint commitment from governments, businesses, non-governmental organisations and individuals. However, despite the efforts made in recent years, hunger is still a reality in the world and access to food for all is not yet a given. Further coordinated action and concrete measures are needed to achieve these goals by 2030.

At 3Bee, we strongly believe in the importance of sustainable agriculture to ensure access to food for all. Sustainable food production systems and agricultural practices that increase productivity and production contribute to the preservation of ecosystems and increase resilience to climate change. In this way, land and soil quality are gradually improved. With XNatura, we support companies in certifying their impact on biodiversity to promote the conservation of pollinators and local flora. We are therefore committed to SDG Goal 2 alongside companies that want to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and promote the right to food. Contact us to learn more and find out how we can help your company make a concrete contribution to achieving SDG 2.