FAO: 38 countries meet anti-hunger targets

ROME, Italy –  The FAO has reported that 38 countries have met their targets to help alleviate world hunger, with accomplishments completed before their 2015 deadline.

“These countries are leading the way to a better future. They are proof that with strong political will, coordination and cooperation, it is possible to achieve rapid and lasting reductions in hunger,” FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said.

Mr Graziano da Silva urged all countries to keep up the momentum, aiming for the complete eradication of hunger, in keeping with the Zero Hunger Challenge launched in 2012 by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“Globally, hunger has declined over the past decade, but 870 million people are still undernourished, and millions of others suffer the consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including child stunting,” the FAO chief said. “We need to keep up our efforts, until everyone can live healthy, productive lives.”

The FAO also said 20 countries have satisfied Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number one – to halve the proportion of hungry people. Their progress was measured between 1990-92 and 2010-2012, against benchmarks established by the international community at the UN General Assembly in 2000.

The countries achieving MDG 1 alone were identified as: Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Maldives, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Togo and Uruguay.

The FAO recognised the work of 18 other countries for reaching both MDG 1 and the more stringent World Food Summit (WFS) target set in 1996 - to reduce by half the absolute number of undernourished people between 1990-92 and 2010-20ADIDAS