SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Food and agriculture are at the heart of civilization and prosperity. Yet, agriculture faces multiple challenges: a world population expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050, smaller rural labor force, soil quality degradation, climate change, food wastage, water scarcity, biofuel production and changing lifestyles leading to urbanization and more protein-intensive diets. Furthermore, agricultural productivity increases would ensure food security for everyone only if access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food is secured. The growing pressure on global food systems constitutes a critical development challenge and creates an increasing risk for businesses, governments, communities and the environment. In this context, business has become a critical partner for governments and other stakeholders to design and deliver effective, scalable and practical solutions for secure and sustainable food and agriculture system.
Business can contribute to solving these challenges, eradicating hunger and improving food and agriculture systems. Implementing sustainable practices and working in partnership with other actors throughout the agricultural value chain (including input, production, distribution and retail) will be key to the implementation of SDG2. In particular, empowering small farmers, increasing agricultural productivity and farmers’ livelihoods, rising consumers’ awareness and increasing agricultural investment as well as knowledge sharing will be necessary elements of better functioning food and agriculture systems.
- Healthy and affordable food
- Food labeling, safety and prices
- Sustainable sourcing
- Genetic diversity of farmed and domesticated animals
- Labor practices in the supply chain
The below examples are non-exhaustive and some may be more relevant to certain industries than to others.
- Supporting, encouraging and demonstrating the continued viability of small scale farming, sustaining grower communities by developing partnerships with cooperatives and producer organizations supporting many small farmers. For larger businesses, establishing long-term business relationships that support small scale producers.
- Investing in sustainable agricultural technology, intensifying collaboration with academic as well as scientific institutions.
- Demonstrating support to genetic diversity of seeds, plants and animals and report on company’s contribution to biodiversity.
- Fostering knowledge, experience and data sharing among businesses and other actors, contributing to global data platforms collecting and sharing agricultural information and statistics with all actors along the agricultural value chain including farmers.
- Upholding highest standards of sustainably in sourcing practices, enhancing traceability of commodities and demonstrating transparency in agricultural supply chain.
- GRI G4 Food Processing Sector Disclosures, FP2: Percentage of purchased volume which is verified as being in accordance with credible, internationally recognized responsible production standards, broken down by standard
- GRI G4 Food Processing Sector Disclosures, FP5: Percentage of production volume manufactured in sites certified by an independent third party according to internationally recognized food safety management system standards
- GRI G4 Food Processing Sector Disclosures, former FP4: Nature, scope and effectiveness of any programs and practices (in-kind contributions, volunteer initiatives, knowledge transfer, partnerships and product development) that promote access to healthy lifestyles; the prevention of chronic disease; access to healthy, nutritious and affordable food; and improved welfare for communities in need
- UN Global Compact- Oxfam Poverty Footprint, PF-16.5: i) Approximate percentage of rural farming households (headed by men/ by women) with sustained access to land, including commons where relevant ii) Trend in recent years (increasing, decreasing, stable) iii) Approximate proportions of smallholders (m/w) in value chain which has secured legal title to land
The complete overview of business indicators can be found at Business Indicators
- IGD Impact Measurement Framework
- Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (HRIAM)
- Human Rights Compliance Assessment (HRCA)
- Human Rights and Business Country Guide
The complete overview of business tools can be found at Business Tools
2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving by 2025 the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under five years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons
2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and the incomes of small-scale food producers, particularly women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality
2.5 By 2020, maintain genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at national, regional and international levels, and ensure access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge as internationally agreed
2.a. Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development, and plant and livestock gene banks to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular in least developed countries
2.b. Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets including by the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
2.c. Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives, and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility
