A cross-party committee of MPs has pushed the UK Government to
“lead by example” in pushing forward attempts to eliminate global
hunger.
In a report published on Tuesday 18 March, the International
Development Committee calls for the Government to ensure that all
aid spending committed to nutrition and food security is
predictable and long term and urges the Government to provide
better safeguards against changes to funding for nutrition.
As part of this, it recommends the UK make “a generous and well
targeted pledge” at the Nutrition for Growth summit at the end of
March and pledge at least £50 million to the Child Nutrition
Fund, to match-fund philanthropic funding to address
malnutrition.
In 2015, all United Nations (UN) member states signed up to 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG2, a target to
end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and
promote sustainable agriculture by 2030.
However, the report finds that the world is currently off-target
to achieving SDG2 and “shows signs of waning in its resolve”.
It notes that 733 million people faced hunger in 2024, while 45
million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition,
according to the UN's World Food Programme. An “urgent and
concerted effort” is required at all levels to tackle both the
effects and causes of poor nutrition and food insecurity, it
says.
Reflecting on the recent decision to cut UK aid from 0.5 to 0.3%
of gross national income (GNI), the Committee urges the
Government to learn lessons from previous cuts.
“If the Government fails to learn the lessons from the handling
of cuts in 2020”, the Committee says, “the misery inflicted on
millions will be incalculable, the progress that has been made
will stall, and the damage to the UK's reputation will be all but
impossible to reverse.”
Where cuts are to be made through the upcoming spending review,
the Committee urges the Government to deliver a “phased
transition” with clear communication, to avoid the damage done
when the aid budget was previously cut in 2020.
MPs also recommend that the UK adopt a “whole of Government”
approach to delivering on its food security goals. By the end of
2025, it should create a cross-Government plan for delivery, with
clear guidance for civil servants on how to take nutrition and
food security into account across its programmes.
In the report, MPs argue that the UK is able to be a considerable
force for good in efforts to tackle hunger. However, they say
that the will to maintain international leadership must come from
the top of Government and that this role should be undertaken
“with humility and in the spirit of partnership”.
, Chair of the International
Development Committee, said:
“Nearly fifteen years on from the world adopting the Sustainable
Development Goals, progress in eliminating hunger is stalling, if
not reversing.
This is deeply worrying. Good nutrition is the foundation of so
many of our development goals, from fighting disease and maternal
mortality, to improving educational outcomes and breaking people
out of poverty and inequality.
As our report makes clear: hunger breeds conflict and conflict
breeds hunger. At a time of rising instability, a whole of
government approach to delivering on our zero hunger goals could
be transformative.
A generous pledge from the UK Government at this month's
Nutrition for Growth summit would aid millions of people. But the
UK must go further by demonstrating a serious and lasting
commitment to lead the world in development once more.”
