Why nutrition is key to ending hunger sustainably

The world is off track to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030—not due to food shortages, but because diets remain poor in quality and access is unequal. Current food systems prioritize empty calories over nutrition, with serious impacts on health, the environment, and inequality. A shift in approach is urgently needed.

The Hesat2030 initiative, co-chaired by FAO, the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate, and CABI, demonstrates that ending hunger is achievable. Drawing on evidence from 1,832 studies across 83 countries, its new report identifies ten proven interventions to improve diet quality in low- and lower-middle-income countries. It highlights how combining actions across production, markets, and consumption can deliver better nutrition while also supporting incomes, equity, and climate resilience.

This event will launch the report and bring together governments and donors to explore how the evidence can inform national policies, investment strategies, and the implementation of Nutrition for Growth commitments.

• Welcome
• Setting the Scene: Why Nutrition Matters for Ending Hunger with Dr Andreas Schaumayer, Head of Division, Food and Nutrition Security, and Fisheries, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
• Presentation of the Hesat2030 Nutrition report, Can the agricultural development community end hunger differently? Ten high-impact nutrition-sensitive interventions for agrifood systems, with Carin Smaller, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Shamba Centre with Jaron Porciello, Associate Director from Cornell University and David Laborde, Director, Agrifood Economics Division at the FAO
• Panel Discussion: From Evidence to Action with Gaëtan Ramindo, Minister of Agriculture & Food Sovereignty, Madagascar, Lilian Kapusana, Permanent Secretary to the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, Ammad Bahalim, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Jean-Baptiste Boulay, Executive Vice President, Nutrition Solution Business Unit, OCP NUTRICROPS
• Closing by Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, Chair of the Zero Hunger Coalition and Co-Chair of the ATLAS Initiative (Paris Peace Forum)

The discussion with be moderated by Francine Picard, Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships at the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate. French / English translation will be available.

Partners

ATLAS, BMZ, FAO, Gates Foundation, Hesat2030, Paris Peace Forum, SDG2 Advocacy Hub, Shamba Centre for Food & Climate, and the Zero Hunger Coalition.