Events

On Thursday, 25 July, Hungry for Action will activate the Empty Plates campaign in London and Rio de Janeiro. In London, prominent Chefs will serve approximately 750 empty plates – each plate representing 1 million people going hungry worldwide. They will be supported by advocates and numerous food champions, in person and remotely by others in various locations across the globe. The launch of the Empty Plates campaign will coincide with the announcement of the G20 Brazilian-led Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and the launch of the highly anticipated United Nations annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2024 report that will update the latest data on hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide. 

Hundreds of millions of people have nothing to put on their plates every day. They go to sleep hungry. It is outrageous and unacceptable that global hunger is rising in 2024 and that too many children are being robbed of their future potential due to malnutrition when we know many solutions exist; only concerted action from governments can fix it. 

Join us to take action!

On the 25th of July:

1. Take an empty plate and take a picture of yourself holding it.
2. Post the picture on social media on 25th July.
3. Use the hashtags #emptyplates and #G20.
4. Tag @HungryforAct on X and @hungryforaction on Instagram.

The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty

To accelerate progress towards SDG2, Hungry for Action has been calling for a global plan to drive collective action that would align policy priorities, improve coordination, reduce fragmentation, support country leadership and implementation capacity, mobilise adequate financing and promote greater accountability. A global plan would demonstrate much-needed political leadership to end the food crisis now and break the cycle of crises. This year, President Lula and Brazil’s presidency of the G20 have championed and plan to launch a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, embodying the global plan’s key components. This is a necessary step to mobilize the global community around a joint agenda to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms. 

The SOFI report

Since 1999, the SOFI reports have measured progress in reducing global hunger. In the last several years, they have documented a reversal in the trend due to conflict, climate change, economic shocks, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and persistent poverty and inequality.  The world is not on track to achieve SDG2 by 2030, and urgent, coordinated action is required to address these multifaceted drivers of hunger and malnutrition. 

The 2024 report, according to the UN, will include a thematic focus on financing for SDG2, quantifying how much funding is needed to end food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition and will identify innovative financing options to address the major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition as well as transform food systems. 

We applaud and celebrate Brazil’s leadership and call on other G20 governments to:

1. Join the Alliance
2. Work together on actioning a Global Plan
3. Deliver the financing needed

Together, we can end the global food crisis, now and forever. 

Follow the campaign on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Full assets and campaign messaging to include in social media posts are uploaded here.

On 3 June, 3pm, join us for the #beansonthemenu UK virtual launch. An “ask me anything” designed for chefs and other food service professionals, this webinar will provide further insights on how to participate, feature a few experts who will give brief insights into the benefits of beans – nutritional, environmental and affordability — and provide early examples about how to incorporate beans to your menu.

Featured speakers:
Tim Spector
Chef Sohini Banjeree (Smoke and Lime)
Chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi (Bettina’s Kitchen)
Josiah Meldrum (Hodmedod Ltd)
Amelia Christie-Miller (Bold Bean Co.)
Dr Caspar Chater (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
Elphee Medici (Expert Nutrition and Sustainable Diets Consultant)

Visit http://www.beansonthemenu.com/ to learn more

In 2022, an estimated 691 to 783 million individuals worldwide experienced hunger. The majority of those facing hunger resided in Asia (55%) and Africa (38%). Among children under the age of 5, 22.3% (148.1 million) suffered from stunted growth, 6.8% (45 million) were wasted, and 5.6% (37 million) were overweight. Alarmingly, approximately 75% of children under 5 affected by stunting lived in countries experiencing conflict. The situation is equally dire for adolescent girls and women, with over one billion experiencing undernutrition, which includes being underweight and having short stature, deficiencies in essential micronutrients, and anaemia. These conditions have devastating consequences for their lives and well-being. Most recently, deteriorating food security has been seen in Sudan where 18 million people face acute hunger while famine looms in Gaza.

Global hunger is reaching new heights as the global food crisis – driven by fragile food systems, climate change, conflict, economic downturns, inequality, high food prices and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – reverses decades of progress. Among those most affected are children who, in critical stages of growth, are being deprived of what they need most: a safe and healthy future on a livable planet. The next generation is being born into a cycle of malnutrition.

At the same time, smallholder farmers face compounding challenges. An El Niño-triggered drought has forced Malawi to declare a state of disaster as severe crop damage impacts 2 million farming households and leaves 20 million people in need of food assistance. The world over, smallholder farmers are on the frontlines of our food systems and the climate crisis and yet receive less than 2% of climate finance, are overlooked in global fora and face barriers to accessing markets and agriculture inputs.

Urgent and coordinated action is needed now to break the cycles of food crises and transform food systems to deliver for people and the planet. We know the solutions needed. The G7 must play a critical role in galvanising action to save lives, build resilience and secure the future. The Government of Italy has shown leadership on the issue of food security with the creation of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative in 2008. This year’s Italian Presidency has the ambition to launch the new Apulia Food Security Initiative while the Brazilian G20 Presidency has announced a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. These initiatives are critical opportunities to get the world back on track and bring an end to the cycle of food crises. Join us for this official parallel session of the Civil 7 Summit.

Session Aim:

• Raise the visibility of the global food crisis at the C7 Summit ahead of the June G7 Leaders Summit

Session Objectives:

• Bring to light the global food crisis with voices from affected countries, including child advocates
• Elevate the policy recommendations of the C7 Food Sovereignty and Food Systems Transformation Working Group to influence the shaping of the G7 food security and nutrition initiative, including the vital role of the Committee on World Food Security
• Champion the idea of a global plan at the G7 and G20 that would improve leadership, coordination and accountability on the global food crisis

Moderator:

• Alice Macdonald, Campaign Director of Hungry for Action

Speakers:

• Musa Sowe, Coordinator of C7 Food Sovereignty and Food Systems Transformation WG
• Vicente Bezerra, Brazil Alternate Representative of Brazil 
• Andrea Galante, Senior Policy Advisor for Food Security and Nutrition, World Vision International 
• Alberta Guerra, CSOs Liaison Officer, GAFSP
• Lucy Esipila, Regional Secretary General, Caritas Africa
• Stephen Ruvuga, Executive Director, MVIWATA

United Kingdom Chefs’ Manifesto Action Hub – 14-15 June 2024 – Evolving Food Futures; 9am-5pm

London

Are you hungry for change? Join chefs, growers, gardeners, educators, policymakers, restauranteurs, academics and others affected by and interested in contributing to a better food future to share, discuss, learn and be inspired by projects, ideas and research for the food future we want to build together.

The two days will be divided into four sessions, exploring the cycle of food from soil to plate and touching on key aspects like how to improve access to healthy and nutritious food where it is most needed and how to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of our food choices. Register your interest today. To register: https://www.omvedgardens.com/chefs-manifesto-london-action-hub-2024

Australia Chefs’ Manifesto Action Hub – 19 May 2024 – Upcycling food for a zero waste future

Melbourne

The event builds on an action-research project as part of the End Food Waste CRC to support the transition towards a more circular hospitality sector (with small to medium cafés and restaurants). The workshop aims to get the conversation started by sharing innovative practices happening by circular economy champions right now and exploring the best way to exchange skills and knowledge within the industry. It is a great opportunity to network with a mix of talented chefs, food system advocates, food scientists and community organisations. To find out more or register, contact Keren: keren@sdg2advocacyhub.org

To amplify momentum around Diverse Proteins in 2024, and mark the UNGA Sustainability Week, the Sight and Life Foundation and the SDG2 Advocacy Hub are organizing an engaging online event that will shed light on the role of diverse proteins in mitigating the dual challenges of climate change and malnutrition, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). 

The webinar will highlight the opportunities and challenges associated with diversifying protein sources, including nutritional benefits, sustainability and sourcing, and impact on livelihoods. It will also showcase exciting innovative pitches to inspire us. 

Register for the webinar through the link on this page!

Amid climate change affecting our food systems, what opportunities do we have to diversify access to proteins?

Join us for webinar “Harnessing diverse proteins to sustainably nourish low- and middle-income country populations”

Why Should you Join?

• Gain insights on the opportunities and challenges associated with diversifying protein sources including nutritional benefits

• Understand their sustainability, sourcing and impact on livelihoods.

• Be inspired by the exciting innovative pitches.

Who are the Key Speakers?

Join us and hear from our experiences line of speakers including Kristin Gutekunst, Alan Javier Hernandez Alvarez, Beatrice Ekesa, PhD, Betty Kibaara, Jean Paul Gisa, Talash Huijbers and Grant M. Gordon, PhD. Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen-Küffer will open up the discussion, while Andy Jarvis will close with a call to Action. Our Executive Director, Paul Newnham will moderate the discussion.

Right now 783 million people are hungry, chronic hunger is affecting a fifth of Africa’s population. The climate and debt crises are worsening the situation.

As the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings near, Hungry for Action, in partnership with OXFAM in Africa, will convene a webinar to discuss how we can unlock the financing needed to tackle the global food crisis and drive progress towards SDG2 and climate goals. The panel of experts will delve into financing priorities including multilateral development bank reforms, debt relief, and the opportunity of the forthcoming IDA Replenishment.

This session will explore why unlocking more and better  financing is key to breaking the cycle of food crises and accelerating progress towards SDG2 and what it could deliver for the broader SDG and climate agendas.

What do we want to achieve?

This session envisions two main outcomes as follows: 

• Increased youth and smallholder farmer awareness and public campaigning for reversing the trends on food security and nutrition financing gaps and income and gender inequalities. 
• A catalog of new ideas and proposals is produced to engage multilateral development banks and African Food Systems Parliamentary Network on food security priorities.

Session Speakers:

• Neema Lugangira, Member of Parliament Tanzania and Board Member of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF
• Sessi Akoha, Agricultural Economist and MEAL Expert at West African Network of Peasants and Agricultural Producers (ROPPA)
• Zacharey Carmichael, Senior Economist, World Bank Agriculture and Food Global Practice, World Bank CRW ERF Technical Coordinator for Food Security Crises and Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS) Secretariat
• Friederike Roder, Vice President, Global Policy and Advocacy, Global Citizen

Time

9:00 – 10:00 hrs EDT, 13:00 – 14:00 hrs GMT, 14:00 – 15:00 hrs WAT, 16:00 – 17:00 hrs EAT

African leaders were in Addis Ababa Ethiopia from Feb 17-18 2024 for the Annual African Union Summit. This summit was held on the back of a year that has seen multiple crises but also opportunities, among them, African Union’s admission as a permanent member of the G20 and the first Africa Climate Summit among others. Further, this year’s theme “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa” provides not only relevance but also a solid ground to look ahead to 2024.

Not only is tackling the global food crisis vital for education, but it is vital for our continent. Alarming statistics reveal that approximately 282 million people — about 20 percent of the population — faced undernourishment in 2022, marking a staggering increase of 57 million individuals since the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset. Furthermore, 49 million are on the brink of famine, over a billion people struggle to access nutritious diets, and nearly 30 percent of children suffer stunted growth due to malnutrition.

The primary aim of this webinar is to engage in a comprehensive discussion on Africa’s strategic priorities for 2024, specifically focusing on endeavors to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. Additionally, the webinar will conduct a retrospective analysis of significant events, milestones, and missed opportunities from 2023 pertaining to addressing the food crisis. By convening a diverse array of experts and stakeholders from crucial sectors, including the African Union, regional economic communities, youth representatives, and other relevant organizations, the objective is to foster insightful dialogues and collaborative initiatives that contribute to the effective resolution of food and nutrition security challenges in the region.

Register for the webinar here.

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on 5 June since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. In 2023, it is hosted by Côte D’Ivoire.

Why take part?

Time is running out, and nature is in emergency mode. To keep global warming below 1.5°C this century, we must halve annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Without action, exposure to air pollution beyond safe guidelines will increase by 50 per cent within the decade and plastic waste flowing into aquatic ecosystems will nearly triple by 2040.

We need urgent action to address these pressing issues.