“We will respond both to acute needs and to the underlying causes of hunger. Our overall aim is to contribute towards food security through a range of interventions, including rural development, agricultural research and building livelihoods.”
White Paper on Irish Aid

The Challenge

One of the targets of the first Millennium Development Goal is to eradicate hunger by reducing by half the proportion of people suffering from hunger by 2015 (the so-called ‘hunger target’). 

The number of people suffering from hunger in the world today is increasing.  In June 2008 it was estimated that 862 million people were hungry. That figure had grown to 925 million by September the same year.  It is now estimated that up to 1 billion people do not have enough to eat.

A major cause of global hunger, in addition to the depletion and degradation of soil and water resources, the effects of climate change and poor education on nutritional issues, is the under-investment in agricultural production and rural infrastructure over the last three decades. 

In the longer term, the key challenge remains to increase the supply of food: the World Bank estimates that demand for food will rise by 50 per cent by 2030, as a result of rising affluence and growing world population.  Achieving this challenge will require a massive investment in agriculture in developing countries. 

Ireland’s Response

Ireland is committed to responding both to acute needs and to the underlying causes of hunger. Our overall goal of poverty reduction and our commitment to MDG1 ensure a comprehensive approach in our efforts to eliminate hunger in the countries where we work.  Our aim is to contribute towards food security for all through a complementary range of interventions, including safety nets, pro-poor agricultural research and building livelihoods.

We are committed to working closely with our partner governments, multilateral agencies and humanitarian organisations to develop effective mechanisms and supports that, in parallel with longer term development programmes, proactively prevent persistent food shortages becoming famines.  In regions and countries particularly vulnerable to food shortages and famine, we will support disaster risk reduction programmes to diminish the effects of persistent food shortages and to prevent widespread famine, while trying to address the root causes of vulnerability.

In 2006, the Irish Government established a Hunger Task Force (HTF), which brought together international experts in the field of food security, to identify the additional, appropriate and effective contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce global hunger.  The Hunger Task Force Report which was presented to the Taoiseach on 25 September 2008 at UN Headquarters in New York has been warmly welcomed, nationally and internationally.  The Report challenges us to deepen our support for pro-poor smallholder production with particular consideration for the role and burden of women farmers.  The Report also encouraged Ireland to continue to innovate in the areas of infant and maternal nutrition, and to play our full role in support of a more effective and coherent international response to the global food crisis.

In response, Irish Aid has established a special Hunger Task Team to bring together the full range of expertise available within Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and other Government Departments (Agriculture, Fisheries & Food and Finance) in the area of food security and related disciplines to ensure a coherent whole of Government approach to addressing global hunger and the recommendations of the Hunger Task Force.  The Government has also appointed Mr Kevin Farrell as a Special Envoy for Hunger, in response to one of the key recommendations of the Hunger Task Force.  The Envoy, Mr Kevin Farrell, formerly of the World Food Programme, will work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Irish Aid in bringing forward the HTF Report. 

The Role of the United Nations in addressing Global Food and Nutrition Security

Ireland is strongly supportive of a global and coordinated response to this problem. In this regard we recognise the important role of the UN Secretary General's new Lead Group for the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and his High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis.

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement (www.scalingupnutrition.org), or SUN, is a global push for action and investment to improve maternal and child nutrition.  Evidence shows that proper nutrition during the 1,000 days between a woman's pregnancy and her child's second birthday gives children a healthy start at life.  Poor nutrition during this period leads to irreversible consequences such as stunted growth and impaired cognitive development.  The SUN movement is for all countries whose populations experience under-nutrition and for all stakeholders committed to providing support.  Improving nutrition is a pre-condition to achieving goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combatting disease - which all contribute to a stronger future for communities and nations.  Over 1 billion people in the world today are under-nourished.  Proven solutions are available and are ready to be scaled up.  SUN brings together over 100 organisations and governments committed to work together to fight hunger and under-nutrition.

The SUN Movement was launched at the 1,000 Days: Change a Life, Change the Future event with UNSG Ban Ki-Moon, co-hosted by the United States and Ireland during the United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2010.

In addition, the High Level Task Force which is comprised of all relevant UN agencies as well as the World Bank, IMF, WTO and OECD have produced a prioritised plan of action, the Comprehensive Framework for Action.

The Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations is also actively engaged on these topics through our membership in New York of the Group of Friends on Food and Nutrition Security.  Relevant issues are discussed including in the context of planning for intergovernmental processes such as Rio + 20/the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012.