Fragmented Leadership Is Undermining Progress Towards Zero Hunger

Forbes

29-03-2025

The hunger crisis isn't just about numbers. It's about who has access to food and who doesn't. It's ... More about equity, affordability, and sustainability. It's about global disparities that leave some nations drowning in surplus while others struggle to feed their people.
I hate to bring this up at a time when nationalism is at an all-time high, but the world needs a cohesive and coordinated approach— all hands on deck— if we want to achieve the 2030 goal of zero hunger.
Let's start with a hard truth: Hunger isn't a supply problem. If it were, we would've solved it long ago.
Look at the numbers: In 2021, the world produced 9.5 billion metric tons of primary crops— a 27% increase since 2010. Actual consumption that year was just 2.5 billion metric tons. That's a mere 26% of what was grown.
Even when accounting for animal feed, biofuel, and waste, the math doesn't lie: we're producing far more food than we actually need. And yet, 733 million people worldwide still go hungry.
The issue isn't production. It's power. It's politics. It's who gets access— and who doesn't. It's about global disparities in the face of conflict, climate shocks, and shrinking budgets that leave some nations with surplus while others struggle to feed their people.
Hunger persists not because we can't feed the world, but because the systems that govern food— trade, finance, emergency response— are fractured, siloed, and too often driven by short-term gain rather than long-term good.
But don't take my word for it.
Members of the Kofi Annan Commission on Food Security (KACFS)
The Kofi Annan Commission on Food Security (KACFS) was created in 2023 to assess the global governance shifts needed to drive food and nutrition security and help end world hunger.
KACFS is being driven by some serious players— think David Nabarro (2018 World Food Prize Winner and Strategic Director of 4SD Foundation), Elhadj As Sy (former Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn Boshe (former PM of Ethiopia), Sara Roversi (Founder of the Future Food Institute), Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization), Mariana Vasconcelos (CEO of Agrosmart), and Amir Mahmoud Abdulla (former Executive Director of the World Food Programme). They're pushing for a total reset: no more patchwork projects, no more siloed programs— no more bandaid solutions. Just a coordinated, long-game strategy rooted in equity, transparency, and actually giving a damn.
This is what these governance shifts would look like, according to the Commissioners (and through my own lens).
Some of the commissioners and invited panelists at the Rome launch of the KACFS report. (L-R) ... More Ayooshee Dookhee, Programme Manager, Kofi Annan Foundation, Amir Mahmoud Abdulla, Commissioner, Sara Roversi, Commissioner, David Nabarro, Commissioner, Hans Hoogeveen, Independent Chairperson of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization, H.E. Ambassador Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, Chair of the Committee on World Food Security
A member of World Food Programme (WFP) checks food stored in a warehouse in Myanmar's northeastern ... More city of Myitkyina in Kachin State on March 19, 2025. Distraught Myanmar relief camp dwellers received final handouts from the World Food Programme as the UN agency begins halting aid to a million people in the country because funding has dried up. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
To eradicate global hunger, the world must treat nutritious food as a basic human right— and embed it into the core of global governance across climate, finance, and trade.
Food is more than a commodity. Its availability shouldn't be dictated by geopolitical leverage or market volatility. A sustainable and equitable food system— one that transcends borders— is essential to global stability and long-term economic growth.
Yet financing remains out of step with the scale of the challenge. The World Bank's 2024 Global Investment Framework for Nutrition pegs the shortfall at $128 billion over the next decade, or roughly $13 billion annually, to scale up nutrition interventions. Meanwhile, frontline institutions are facing severe resource constraints: The World Food Programme is facing an $8.1 billion shortfall leading to the closure of its Southern Africa office, and slashed rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The Food and Agriculture Organization had to pull the plug on critical projects overnight after losing hundreds of millions in U.S. funding. Without renewed support, millions more risk falling into hunger, and decades of progress could be undone.
At the same time, governments have failed to deliver on commitments to align food systems with climate action. At COP29, hopes for more funding for small-scale farmers— key players in climate resilience— fell flat. With COP30 on the horizon, there's a narrowing window to prioritize food systems within climate finance frameworks.
Global trade policies are also compounding the crisis. Recent tariff hikes and isolationist trade policies— not to mention erratic policy swings— threaten to further destabilize food access in already-vulnerable regions. Viewing food as a geopolitical tool rather than a public good undermines both global food security and economic resilience. As said by Kofi Annan himself: 'Open markets offer the only realistic hope of pulling billions of people in developing countries out of abject poverty, while sustaining prosperity in the industrialized world.'
19 November 2024. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Representatives from countries and international ... More organizations convened in Rio de Janeiro, to reaffirm their commitment to the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty. During this important gathering, they discussed strategies to strengthen collaboration, promote sustainable solutions, and advance efforts toward a hunger- and poverty-free world. The event concluded with an official group photo. ©FAO/Max Valencia.
Global efforts to end hunger are being undermined by fragmented leadership and siloed decision-making. Governments, multilateral agencies, and private sector actors often operate independently, resulting in overlapping agendas, policy gaps, and, at times, direct competition— consequences that are proving fatal.
This fractured approach has fueled a crisis of confidence between institutions and the communities they serve. The disconnect between global declarations and on-the-ground outcomes is stark. 'Eliminating hunger requires unflinching commitment, collective action, and strong leadership,' says Corinne Momal-Vanian, Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation.
The KACFS report calls for a unified 'common commitment' to rethinking how decisions are made and implemented across global food systems. That includes aligning national strategies, multilateral mandates, and institutional incentives under the Agenda 2030 framework. The goal, according to the Commissioners, is to "Reorient Action" toward shared accountability and impact.
One promising example of this shift is the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty— launched in 2024 at the G20 summit in Brazil and co-chaired by Brazil and Spain. Touted as the 'strongest ever collective effort to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty through public policies,' it brings together a powerful coalition: over 90 countries, the African Union, European Union, nearly 30 international organizations, 10 financial institutions, and close to 50 philanthropic and NGO partners, all working to eradicate hunger and poverty by 2030.
Critical to this effort will be improved data infrastructure. Accurate, timely, and accessible data is essential to move from reactive policy to proactive strategy. KACFS' proposed Food Governance Group would leverage this data to hold key actors accountable and ensure alignment under a unified global framework— transforming rhetoric into results.
Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (C), accompanied ... More the organisation's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy (L) visits a children's hospital in Port Sudan on September 7, 2024. More than 25 million people, upwards of half Sudan's population, face acute hunger, with full-blown famine declared in a camp for displaced people in the volatile western region of Darfur. (Photo by AFP)
The current global response to hunger remains largely reactive, kicking in only after crises have taken hold. But prevention is smarter, more cost-effective, and more humane.
'Social protection is critical for addressing multiple dimensions of poverty and improving nutrition outcomes,' the Commission states. 'It can also play a vital role in the mitigation of conflict.'
The Commission urges a shift: invest in peace building as a core food security strategy—not just emergency aid once conflict spirals into famine. That means backing local organizations already working in fragile settings and making the right to food a political priority, not just a moral one.
Food access should not depend on geography, income, or the stability of a national economy. Governments and international actors must establish safety nets that truly reach those in need— particularly mothers, children, and the most vulnerable.
As stated by Kofi Annan: 'Today's real borders are not between nations, but between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, privileged and humiliated. Today, no walls can separate humanitarian or human rights crises in one part of the world from national security crises in another.'
Social protection has already proven its power. One study found it helped prevent 1.01 billion cases of undernourishment across 46 low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, a 10% spike in food prices was linked to a 0.7-point increase in violence against civilians— yet anti-poverty measures during crises like COVID-19 cut that risk by 0.2 points.
The KACFS report calls for universal, nutrition-sensitive social protections— anchored by strong political commitment, and supported by a proposed Food Security Protection Mechanism that steps in early— before food crises escalate— triggering coordinated support from Rome Based Agencies.
An Orang Asli (Indigenous) mother carrying her baby on November 24, 2024 in Pahang, Malaysia. ... More Malaysia's Orang Asli (Indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia) face persistent challenges, including food insecurity, inadequate living conditions, land rights disputes, economic marginalization, limited access to education, social exclusion, and widespread child malnutrition, all exacerbated by systemic barriers and undocumented status. Despite these obstacles, their resilience shines as they continue to assert their rights, preserve their heritage, and strive for equitable access to resources and opportunities. (Photo by)
As conflict, climate volatility, and global funding cuts intensify pressure on food systems, policymakers are being urged to adopt forward-looking strategies to safeguard food and nutrition security.
The KACFS report says that 'large-scale transformations precipitated by conflict, climate change, technology, and urbanization are reshaping and intensifying pressures on governance structures,' and the global architecture must evolve to meet these challenges. The report calls for a shift toward smarter, more coordinated policies that anticipate risks— rather than scramble to contain them.
The private sector, the Commission argues, has an outsized role to play. Food companies, from multinationals to small businesses, have the capital and reach to influence everything from diets to supply chains. With the right incentives and accountability, the sector could help scale sustainable technologies, strengthen regional markets, and build resilience across food systems.
In preparation for the recent Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris, the Private Sector Working Group (PSWG) was launched— co-led by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Paris Peace Forum— to align businesses, governments, and civil society around scalable solutions to malnutrition.
Smallholder farmers, who number more than 525 million globally, are at the core of food production but often lack access to markets, technology, and financing. In parts of Europe, small farms produce more than half of certain food products, while in the U.S., small-scale farms contribute up to 95% of their spending to local economies. Yet despite their central role, many remain excluded from innovation pipelines and policy design. 'The multilateral system has a crucial role to play in amplifying the voices of smallholder farmers during priority setting,' the Commission states.
The report also emphasizes the need to integrate women and youth into food policy. Empowering women in agrifood systems could unlock $1 trillion in global economic gains and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people, according to the Commission. With climate change, urbanization, and inequality disproportionately impacting marginalized groups, the call is for inclusive, digitally enabled solutions— and for a major focus in the lead-up to the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026.
Zero Hunger— once considered an achievable benchmark— is slipping further out of reach. With less than five years left to 2030, more than 733 million people are still going hungry. Climate shocks, conflict, deepening inequality, and shrinking aid flows have derailed progress, while fragmented governance and political short-termism have left the global food system dangerously exposed.
'The Commission calls for a bold rethinking of global food governance,' says Commissioner, Sara Roversi. "As we confront mounting challenges to end hunger, we must prioritize inclusive, sustainable, and accountable solutions to secure a resilient food future for all. This demands multi-generational involvement, elevating the crucial roles of youth, farmers, and educators in preserving living heritage while embracing technology as an ally.'
The KACFS report lays out a series of proposals, all grounded in a single, urgent truth—one that Kofi Annan himself championed: achieving Zero Hunger demands collective action and a commitment to equity. As Annan put it, 'Global solidarity is both necessary and possible. It is necessary because without a measure of solidarity no society can be truly stable, and no one's prosperity truly secure.' The world doesn't lack food— it lacks fairness in how that food is shared.