Food and nutrition
Worldwide, one in eight people (about 735 million) suffer from hunger. A further 2.4 billion people suffer from under-nutrition. That is one in every three people in the world who lack adequate nutrition.
Today’s food crises are the result of interconnected factors. Conflict, instability and climate change drive hunger in many parts of the world.
Combating hunger and under-nutrition has been a cornerstone of Ireland’s development programme since its inception.
Preventing food crises
While we provide emergency help in response to food crises, our main focus is on preventing such crises. The need to invest in the transformation of global food systems is crucial. We believe in creating a sustainable food system that provides affordable and nutritious diets for all.
Our particular emphasis is on conflict and fragility, climate and resilience, gender, nutrition and healthy diets.
We work with a range of development and humanitarian partners. Our embassy teams around the world implement a range of food, agriculture and nutrition programmes and partnerships.
735 million
Estimated number of people who faced hunger in 2022
€230 million
Ireland’s investment in long-term food, agriculture and nutrition programmes in 2023
Ireland’s key food and nutrition priorities focus on:
Long-term chronic hunger
Most people associate hunger in developing countries with images of extreme starvation often seen in the aftermath of disaster or conflict.
Far less attention is given to the devastating effects of long-term chronic hunger. This affects 735 million of the world’s poorest people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.
One in eight people do not get enough food to live a healthy life.
The world produces enough food to feed everyone. Yet about one in eight people do not get enough food to live a healthy life. Poor people are most at risk of acute hunger. It can impact on all areas of their lives. This traps them in a poverty spiral where they are not healthy enough to work and provide.
People who do not have food in sufficient quantity and nutritional quality are less resistant to diseases like malaria, TB and AIDS. Hunger and poor nutrition affects children’s development and ability to learn.
Fighting against hunger
The fight against hunger is central to all Irish Aid’s work. We recognise that the right to food and adequate nutrition is one of the most fundamental of all human rights.
Our work on hunger is guided by Ireland’s own national story, history and experience. Ireland’s experience of hunger during the Great Famine in the 1840s still resonates today with Irish people.
Our partnerships tackle hunger and strengthen people’s resilience. We have scaled up our support to a wide range of nutrition interventions across both development and emergency responses. This work has a particular focus on the prevention and treatment of child under-nutrition.
Causes of undernutrition
Vulnerable, marginalised and poor populations are the most affected by undernutrition. The biggest driver of hunger is conflict. Conflict affects almost every aspect of the food systems, from harvesting through to transport. More than half of the people who are facing undernourishment live in countries struggling with some form of conflict, violence or fragility.
Tackling malnutrition
In 2023, Ireland plans to spend a total of €230 million for food, agriculture and nutrition interventions. This is in line with our pledge, in 2022, to spend an additional €50 million over three years to tackle acute malnutrition.
In 2023 ,we committed €37 million to a new food systems transformation initiative in Malawi, in collaboration with USAID.
The role of gender equality for food systems transformation
Ireland recognises the importance of gender equality for food systems transformation. We will continue to have an overarching focus on women and girls in all our partnerships and interventions.
Ireland is committed to increasing investment in programmes dedicated to achieving gender equality. This includes increased funding for women’s rights organisations.
Combating hunger is essential to building a secure, stable world where people can live in dignity and without fear.
Our work in this area supports Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals. This Goal calls for an end to hunger and improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture.