Halving Hunger: It Can Be Done

The Millennium Development Goals, adopted at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, are the world's targets for dramatically reducing extreme poverty in its many dimensions by 2015—income poverty, hunger, disease, exclusion, lack of infrastructure and shelter-while promoting gender equality, education, health and environmental sustainability. These bold goals can be met in all parts of the world if nations follow through on their commitments to work together to meet them. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals offers the prospect of a more secure, just, and prosperous world for all. The UN Millennium Project was commissioned by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to develop a practical plan of action to meet the Millennium Development Goals. As an independent advisory body directed by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, the UN Millennium Project submitted its recommendations to the UN Secretary General in January 2005. The core of the UN Millennium Project's work has been carried out by 10 thematic Task Forces comprising more than 250 experts from around the world, including scientists, development practitioners, parliamentarians, policymakers, and representatives from civil society, UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF, and the private sector. This report lays out the recommendations of the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger in seven major categories: political action; national policy reforms; increased agricultural productivity for food insecure farmers; improved nutrition for the chronically hungry; productive safety nets for the acutely hungry; improved rural incomes and markets; and restoration and conservation of natural resources essential for food security. The task force strongly endorses the Secretary General's call for a 21st Century African Green Revolution. These bold yet practical approaches will enable countries in every region of the world to halve world hunger by 2015.

* One of 14 publications comprising the official UN strategy on how to reduce extreme poverty and achieve the fundamental worldwide human development goals for the coming decade
* Project directed by Jeffrey D. Sachs, named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, current Director of The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
* The essential reference work for all governments, policymakers, aid and donor agencies, development practitioners, researchers, and students worldwide
"Halving Hunger" examines current world progress towards eliminating hunger and calls for the implementation of seven recommendations in the areas of political action, national policy reforms, increased agricultural productivity for food insecure farmers, improved nutrition for the chronically hungry, productive safety nets for the acutely hungry, improved rural incomes and markets, and restoration and conservation of natural resources essential for food security. The strategy includes over forty interventions that poor countries can select and incorporate into individual action plans. Halving hunger is possible if these interventions are implemented effectively in the 133 hunger hotspots, where hunger is most persistent and severe, and where over 70 percent of the world's 840 million hungry people currently reside.
The UN Millennium Development Library Halving Hunger, in conjunction with the flagship publication Investing in Development, is one of 13 thematic publications that comprise the UN Millennium Library. This set of reference handbooks charts world progress and presents strategies for dramatically reducing extreme poverty in its many dimensions--income poverty, hunger, disease, exclusion, lack of infrastructure, and shelter--by 2015, while promoting gender equality, education, health, and environmental sustainability. This Library is the official, comprehensive point of reference and action plan for achieving the fundamental development objectives embodied in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by the UN and world leaders in 2000.

Jeffrey D. Sachs is Project Director of the UN Millennium Project and its Task Forces, which comprise more than 250 experts from around the world, including scientists, development practitioners, parliamentarians, policymakers, and representatives from civil society, UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF, and the private sector.

Nalan Yuksel with Joint Coordinators M. S. Swaminathan, Philip Dobie and Pedro Sanchez led the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger. The UN Millennium Project and its Task Forces comprise more than 250 scientists, development practitioners, parliamentarians, policy-makers and representatives from civil society, UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF and the private sector.

M. S. Swaminathan with Joint Coordinators Pedro Sanchez, Philip Dobie and Nalan Yuksel led the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger. The UN Millennium Project and its Task Forces comprise more than 250 scientists, development practitioners, parliamentarians, policymakers and representatives from civil society, UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF and the private sector.

Philip Dobie with Joint Coordinators M. S. Swaminathan, Pedro Sanchez and Nalan Yuksel led the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger. The UN Millennium Project and its Task Forces comprise more than 250 scientists, development practitioners, parliamentarians, policymakers and representatives from civil society, UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF and the private sector.

Pedro Sanchez with Joint Coordinators M. S. Swaminathan, Philip Dobie and Nalan Yuksel led the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger. The UN Millennium Project and its Task Forces comprise more than 250 scientists, development practitioners, parliamentarians, policymakers and representatives from civil society, UN agencies, the World Bank, the IMF and the private sector.