Global Nutrition: The Challenge

Half of the global population (48%) eats too many or too few calories and exhibits imbalanced weight levels, including overweight (26%), obesity (13%) and underweight (9%).

A quarter (20-25%) of all deaths among adults are attributable to poor and imbalanced diets.

26

percent

overweight

13

percent

obesity

9

percent

underweight

20 to 25

percent

poor and imbalanced diets

Nutrition and SDGS

In September 2015, more than 150 world leaders attended the UN Sustainable Development Summit to formally adopt an ambitious new sustainable development agenda. Agreed by the 193 Member States of the UN,the Agenda is formally titled, "Transforming Our World: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development".

The 2030 Agenda builds on the Millennium Development Goals and consists of a Declaration, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets, a section on means of implementation and renewed global partnership, and a framework for review and follow-up. The 2030 Agenda went into effect on 1 January, 2016.

Over the next fifteen years, the SDGs commit all policy makers to comprehensive, integrated and universal transformations, including ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Countries will mobilise efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

image of Ban Ki-Moon
Nutrition is both a maker and a marker of development. Improved nutrition is the platform for progress in health, education, employment, empowerment of women and the reduction of poverty and inequality, and can lay the foundation for peaceful, secure and stable societies.

Ban Ki-Moon

United Nations 8th Secretary General

Without adequate and sustained investments in good nutrition, the SDGs will not be realised. The ambition to ‘End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’ is captured in SDG 2, however, at least 12 of the 17 Goals contain indicators that are highly relevant to nutrition.

Malnutrition will represent an often invisible impediment to the successful achievement of the SDGs. It results not just from a lack of sufficient and adequately nutritious and safe food, but from a host of intertwined factors linking health, care, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, access to food and resources, women’s empowerment and more.

Nutrition is essential for the success of the SDGs

Achieving the SDGs
01

Being poor limits the ability of individuals to access adequate food

01

Being poor limits the ability of individuals to access adequate food

02

Agriculture and food security are cornerstones of nutrition

02

Agriculture and food security are cornerstones of nutrition

03

Up to 45% of deaths in children under 5 are caused by undernutrition Achieving the SDGs

03

Up to 45% of deaths in children under 5 are caused by undernutrition Achieving the SDGs

04

Learning and focusing in school is difficult without a sufficient diet

04

Learning and focusing in school is difficult without a sufficient diet

05

When women control the family income, children's health and nutrition improve at a greater rate

05

When women control the family income, children's health and nutrition improve at a greater rate

06

Access to safe water and sanitation is an absolute

06

Access to safe water and sanitation is an absolute

07

High levels of malnutrition in some countries may result in an 11% loss to GDP prerequisite for nutrition

07

High levels of malnutrition in some countries may result in an 11% loss to GDP prerequisite for nutrition

08

Tackling resource use and degradation is key for sharing resources and improving access to quality food

08

Tackling resource use and degradation is key for sharing resources and improving access to quality food

09

Climate change may reduce food production and cause water scarity

09

Climate change may reduce food production and cause water scarity

10

Soil degradation threaten our ability to grow food

10

Soil degradation threaten our ability to grow food

11

War and conflict are major underlying factors of nutrition insecurity

11

War and conflict are major underlying factors of nutrition insecurity

12

Aid allocated to nutrition has high returns a $1 investment in nutirtion has demonstrated a $16 return in economic growth

12

Aid allocated to nutrition has high returns a $1 investment in nutirtion has demonstrated a $16 return in economic growth

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