13 December 2016: A report described by the UN as “the first post-Millennium Development Goals report of its kind,” cautions that without significant increased investments in agricultural research, especially in Asia, “home to 60% of the world’s hungry people,” global efforts to achieve the zero hunger target by 2030 could fall short. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) launched the report titled, ‘Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Insecurity: Investing in a Zero Hunger Generation,’ at the 5th Global Forum of Leaders for Agricultural Science and Technology (GLAST-2016).

Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General, cited findings from the report in a keynote address to GLAST-2016, which took place from 13-15 December in Lingshui, China. Noting that the clock is ticking, Kadiresan described the challenges facing the region, pointing out that some of the “nearly half-a-billion hungry people” that need to be fed by 2030 are also some of the poorest and hardest to reach. She emphasized that reaching the goal of zero hunger, which is outlined in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, will require political will and collective action, alongside “a great deal of effort into leveraging science and technology in the field of agriculture.”

The FAO further estimates that to feed an estimated world population of nine billion people by 2050, nearly 60% more food will be needed, most of which “will need to come from small farmers, who produce a majority of the world’s food.” The FAO estimates that nearly one-in-three children in the Asia and the Pacific region suffer from stunting, while 12% of the population – mostly in Southern Asia – is undernourished. The report also examines the impact of poor diets, such as rising obesity and micronutrient deficiency.

FAO estimates that to feed an estimated world population of nine billion people by 2050, nearly 60% more food will be needed.

GLAST-2016 addressed the theme ‘Eliminating Hunger and Poverty through S&T Innovation.’ Hosted by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and co-organized by FAO and the CGIAR global research partnership, the Forum echoed concerns expressed in the FAO report that investment in agricultural sciences has been on the decline at the same time that advances against hunger have been slowing. GLAST was initiated by CAAS, FAO and CGIAR in 2006 as a platform for sharing information and experiences, as well as promoting partnerships among national agricultural research institutions and international organizations. All four previous GLAST events, in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2013 respectively, have taken place in China. [UN Press Release on Launch of the FAO Report] [UN Press Release on GLAST-2016] [GLAST-2016 Website]