Delivering results – policies and practices for change

On 25 September 2015, the 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously agreed to ‘End Hunger’ by 2030 through their agreement on the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, the world’s leaders agreed not only to ‘End Hunger’, but to ‘Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition, and Promote Sustainable Agriculture’ – an extraordinarily ambitious agenda of eight targets and 14 indicators encompassing hunger, agriculture, environment, nutrition, trade and investment. Approaching three years into the 2030 Agenda, an impressively large number of governments, international agencies, NGOs, businesses and universities have embraced SDG 2, along with several other complementary SDGs, as a framework for action towards achieving a healthier and more sustainable global food system. However, delivering results through policies and programs is proving more challenging. In presenting their Voluntary National Reviews to the United Nations, most countries have reported on their aspirational plans and good intent. Results at scale are few and far between. In this overview, I will draw on personal experience from four countries (Cambodia, Malawi, Timor-Leste and Tajikistan) to identify strategic operational and design lessons that can inform a more effective response to SDG 2. My conclusion is that SDG 2 is by and large achievable but more likely by 2040 or 2050, rather than 2030. Across all targets, we have the knowledge and the financial resources to enable an unprecedented positive transformation of our global food system. All that is required is genuine, sustained political commitment and creative implementation strategies.