15forhunger

Belgium must honour its commitment to the fight against hunger.
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Belgium committed to spending 15% of its ODA on agriculture and food security. This pledge was never fulfilled.

Even worse, as undernourishment rises since 2015, Belgium’s contribution to the fight against hunger is falling.

150

millions
people


150 million more people have gone hungry in recent years

9

% of
Belgian aid


Belgian aid devoted to the fight against hunger diminished from 13.5% in 2017 to 9% in 2021

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We are asking Belgium to reaffirm food security as a priority objective for international cooperation and to set a realistic growth trajectory to reach 15% by 2026 at the latest.

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Why is this so important ?

  • In 2015, governments pledged to eradicate hunger in the world by 2030, but since then the situation has worsened considerably. In this context, Belgium must at the very least respect its financial commitments.
  • In a world of opulence and surplus production, the violation of the fundamental right to food is a scandal and a profound injustice that can be avoided.
  • Investing in agriculture and rural development, where extreme poverty is concentrated, has a multiplier effect : the GDP generated by agriculture is 2 to 3 times more effective in reducing poverty than growth in any other sector. This investment also makes it possible to resolve a number of development issues, including malnutrition, health, the environment, youth employment and forced migration.
Ministère des Affaires étrangères, Bruxelles, Belgique
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Belgium's action

Following the food price crisis and food riots of 2007-2008, Belgium pledged to devote at least 15% of its official development assistance (ODA) to agriculture and food security. Since then, this commitment has been renewed several times, and again by the Vivaldi government.

However, with the exception of 2013, when the target was almost reached, 15% of ODA has never been allocated to agriculture and food security. Worse still, while hunger has dramatically worsened in recent years, investment has continued to fall, from 13.5% in 2017 to 9% in 2021.

SDG Zero Hunger
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Is SDG 2, zero hunger, out of reach ?

Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to eradicate hunger, is becoming increasingly unrealistic to achieve. The causes of hunger are many and interconnected, but the lack of investment in agriculture and food security is one of them. A renewed political commitment on the part of the international community and Belgium is therefore absolutely essential.

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Recommendations

  • Reaffirm food security as a priority objective of international cooperation and set a realistic growth path to reach 15% by 2026 at the latest.
  • Direct this support as a priority and unequivocally towards the agro-ecological transition of food systems, ensuring a central place for small-scale farmers and their organisations.
  • Give priority to multilateral institutions in the agriculture and food security sector, i.e. UN bodies specialising in this area, and strengthen the political weight of the governance body for world food security (Committee on World Food Security).
#15forhunger
#15forhunger Coalition contre la faim
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