Zero Hunger is a vision of the world free of hunger and malnutrition, in which no on is left behind.
The global Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC) was initiated at the Rio+20 Conference in June 2012. Since then, FAO has been working to meet that goal. The Regional Initiative on Zero Hunger in Asia and the Pacific (RI-ZH) has been implemented in Bangladesh, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal and Timor-Leste. It has been further extended to Cambodia, Viet Nam, Fiji, Pakistan and Thailand.
Three Main Thematic Components Structure Zero Hunger work:
- Formulation of food security and nutrition strategy, policy and coordination mechanism including sectoral policy;
- Promotion of nutrition-sensitive agriculture;
- Data analysis and monitoring of SDGs for decision-making.
RI-ZH is implemented under FAO’s Strategic Objective 1 (SO1), and is also contributing to the remaining four SO’s – SO2, SO3, SO4 and SO5, and, of course, directly contributes to achieving SDG 2 – the eradication of hunger by 2030.
Main Regional Activities:
- Inter-regional knowledge sharing conference (virtual) on “Harnessing local agriculture production system for healthy diets”, jointly organized by FAO RNE, RAP and RAF, 31 March 2021.
- Concept note and agenda
- Keynote presentation, by Dr Mahmoud El Solh, Member of the High Level Panel for Food Security and Nutrition, Committee of World Food Security (HLPE/CFS)
- Watch full video recording (passcode:REG3103+)
- ASEAN/FAO Multi-sectoral Consultation to Improve Nutrition Policies through Inter-sectoral Coordination on 24 February 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand
- Regional Expert Consultation on Scoping, Prioritizing and Mapping of Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species in Asia on 3-5 December 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand
- Regional Inception Workshop for Regional TCP on Creating Enabling Environments for Nutrition-Sensitive Food and Agriculture to Address Malnutrition on 30 March 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand
- Regional Workshop on Neglected and Underutilized Species for Zero Hunger: Status, Progress and Way Forward, 11-12 December 2017, Bangkok, Thailand
- Ministerial Round Table on Zero Hunger, Thirty-fourth Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 34), 12 April 2018, Nadi, Fiji
- Concept note
- Meeting report
- Text of the Special recorded remarks of FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Zero Hunger, Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand – call for action on Zero Hunger
- Video of the Special recorded remarks of FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Zero Hunger, Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand – call for action on Zero Hunger
- Regional Expert Consultation on Strengthening Mountain Agriculture Development and Food Security and Nutrition Governance for Zero Hunger and Poverty Reduction, 30 October - 1 November 2018, Beijing, China.
Main National Activities:
Bangladesh
- Technical Symposium on Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Bangladesh: Bringing Agriculture into the Dialogue for Improving Nutrition Outcomes
- Monitoring Report 2016 of the National Food Policy Plan of Action (NFP PoA) and the Country Investment Plan (CIP)
- Lao PDR government staff study tour to Bangladesh to learn Bangladesh’s experiences in strengthening capacity for mainstreaming nutrition into agriculture and promoting community-based nutrition-sensitive interventions
- Measuring Food Security in Bangladesh: Challenges and Way-Forward
Nepal
Launch of Zero Hunger Challenge National Action Plan
DocumentPreparation of Right to Food Bill
Food and Nutrition Security Plan of Action
Timor-Leste
- National Save Food Campaign with the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and in partnership with the University of Timor-Leste
- Inter-ministerial Food Security and Sovereignty and Nutrition Council in Timor-Leste (KONSSANTIL) conducted the National Zero Hunger Campaign
- Implementation of the Zero Hunger National Action Plan (PAN-HAM-TIL) pilot activities in focus villages of the municipalities of Manufahi, Bobonaro and Baucau
- Highlights of the rapid assessment conducted by MAF on the impact and losses brought by the El Niño phenomenon in 2015/16 to agriculture and its negative effects on the livelihoods, food security and nutrition of rural communities in Timor-Leste
Viet Nam
- Decision on “Promulgating the National Action Plan on Zero Hunger In Vietnam By 2025” approved by the Prime Minister on 12 June 2018
- High-level meeting in February 2016 with the UN Resident Coordinator, Ministers of the Ministry of Rural Development and FAO in Viet Nam
- Establishment of a National Steering Committee on Zero Hunger in May 2016
- Coordination Office for National Action Plan on Zero Hunger Challenge within the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development in November 2016