2017 saw a rise in both chronic and acute hunger for the third year in a row, largely driven by conflict, as well as the effects of climate variability and extremes. The world’s 2.5 billion small-scale farmers, herders, fishers and forest-dwellers produce more than 80 percent of the world’s food (in value terms) yet are on the frontlines of hunger and particularly vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and crises.
It is increasingly clear that we cannot achieve zero hunger through humanitarian or development action alone. We therefore need to address the root causes of hunger while meeting immediate humanitarian needs if we are to begin pulling people back from the brink of catastrophe.
Focusing on three major types of shock – natural hazards, protracted crises and food chain crises –, FAO’s resilience agenda is ideally placed to achieve this. FAO assists people to strengthen their livelihoods so that they can withstand crises. This investment in resilience reduces humanitarian needs (and costs) and allows for a more targeted allocation of limited humanitarian resources, further increasing resilience and ultimately reducing vulnerability and needs.
The seminar will thus focus on how investments in building resilience can bridge the humanitarian–development divide, particularly drawing on the experience of FAO and its work with rural communities who represent up to 80 percent of severely food insecure people in the world. The seminar will also highlight partnerships with other partners to fight hunger at its roots and ultimately achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger.