At the end of the dry season, an empty granary says what hunger is better than any report. According to the FAO and its partners, more than six hundred million people suffered from it in 2024. The 15th of October, International Day of Rural Women, comes a day before World Food Day. President Macky Sall places the "zero hunger" goal among the commitments of his candidacy for the office of UN Secretary-General.
A goal falling behind. Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to end hunger by 2030. The annual reports on the state of food security show the world moving away from that target: conflict, climate shocks and economic crises have undone what was advancing.
Rural women. They provide an essential share of farm work in Africa, with limited access to land, credit and inputs. Giving them the same tools as men increases harvests without any need for new land.
Three agencies in Rome. The Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme, Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2020, work side by side. The Secretary-General can obtain from them a common plan, with a public country-by-country dashboard.
Store, process, transport. A harvest that rots for lack of storage or a road feeds no one. Post-harvest losses are among the easiest to cut, because they depend on investment that states control.
Hunger and peace. The first pillar of the vision statement filed with the United Nations states that there is no peace without development. Hunger often precedes conflict, accompanies it and prolongs it. Twelve years as head of state taught President Macky Sall that a country's food security is prepared long before the lean season.
Africa at its heart, the world in its sights.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, WHO) and Sustainable Development Goal 2 are public. Read all public positions at www.mackysall.net