Sustainable Development Goal 2
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Sustainable Development Goal 2 is to “create a world free of hunger by 2030”, according to the United Nations.
The visualizations and data below present the global perspective on where the world stands today and how it has changed over time.
You can find many more visualizations and statistics on hunger and undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity on the Our World in Data topic pages on these topics. Our topic pages on famines, food per person, and diet compositions also tie closely to these topics.
The UN has defined 8 targets and 13 indicators for SDG 2. Targets specify the goals and indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all targets and show the data on the agreed indicators.
Target 2.1Universal access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food
SDG Indicator 2.1.1Prevalence of undernourishment
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.1.1 is the “prevalence of undernourishment” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is defined as the share of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient in terms of providing dietary energy levels needed to lead a normal, healthy and active life. Minimum requirements vary by individual based on age, gender, weight, activity levels and so vary by country depending on the demographics of its population.
Shown in the interactive visualization is the share of a country’s population who are undernourished.
Target: “End hunger” by 2030. This means eliminating undernourishment for all.1
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Hunger and Undernourishment.
SDG Indicator 2.1.2Prevalence of food insecurity
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.1.2 is the “prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured as the share of individuals in a population who have experienced food insecurity at moderate or severe levels during the reference period. Moderate food insecurity is typically associated with the inability to regularly eat healthy, balanced diets. Severe food insecurity tends to imply reduced food intake and thus more severe forms of undernutrition, including hunger.
The interactive visualization shows the share of each country’s population with moderate or severe food insecurity.
Target: “Ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round” by 2030.1 Since food insecurity is a measure of access to food, this means ending moderate and severe food insecurity for all.
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Hunger and Undernourishment.
Target 2.2End all forms of malnutrition
SDG Indicator 2.2.1Prevalence of childhood stunting
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.2.1 is the “prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years of age” in the UN SDG framework.2
This indicator is defined as the share of children under 5 years of age who are stunted, meaning that their height-for-age is 2 or more standard deviations below the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards. Stunting is a consequence of severe malnutrition.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: By 2030 “end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age.”3
The intermediate target is a reduction in the prevalence of stunting by 40% by 2025 (from 2012 levels).
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Hunger and Undernourishment.
Additional charts
SDG Indicator 2.2.2Prevalence of childhood malnutrition (wasting or overweight)
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.2.2 is the “prevalence of malnutrition among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)” in the UN SDG framework.4
“Wasting” or being overweight are both defined as being malnourished.
A child is defined as "wasted" if their weight-for-height is more than 2 standard deviations below the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards.
A child is defined as "overweight" if their weight-for-height is more than 2 standard deviations above the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards.
The interactive visualizations show data for this indicator. The first chart shows the share of children under 5 who are wasted, and the second chart shows the share who are overweight.
Target: By 2030 “end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age.”3
This targets an elimination of wasting, and the prevalence of children being overweight by 2030.
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic pages on Hunger and Undernourishment, Obesity and Micronutrient Deficiency.
Target 2.3Double the productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers
SDG Indicator 2.3.1Production per labour unit
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.3.1 is the “volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured as the ratio of annual output to the number of working days in a year.
Data for this indicator on small-scale food producers is shown in the interactive visualization. Small-scale food producers are those whose land size, livestock, and economic revenue from agricultural activities fall in the bottom 40 percent of the national distributions of these measures.
The second chart shows a related measure, the agricultural value added per worker.
Target: By 2030 “double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.”
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Crop Yields and Employment in Agriculture.
SDG Indicator 2.3.2Income of small-scale food producers
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.3.2 is the “average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured in terms of annual income from on-farm production of food and agricultural products. Small-scale food producers are those whose land size, livestock, and economic revenue from agricultural activities fall in the bottom 40 percent of the national distributions of these measures.
Data on this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: By 2030 “double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers.”5
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic pages on Food Prices and Employment in Agriculture.
Target 2.4Sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices
SDG Indicator 2.4.1Sustainable food production
Definition: Indicator 2.4.1 is the “proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture”in the UN SDG framework.
Target: By 2030 “ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices.”6
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Crop Yields, and comparison of the environmental impact of organic vs. conventional agriculture.
Target 2.5Maintain the genetic diversity in food production
SDG Indicator 2.5.1Genetic resources in conservation facilities
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.5.1 is the “number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities” in the UN SDG framework.
The first component of this indicator is defined as the number of unique accessions (distinct samples of seeds, planting materials, or plants) of plant genetic resources stored in medium to long-term conservation facilities.
The second component is defined as the number of local (existing in only one country) and transboundary (existing in more than one country) animal breeds with enough genetic material stored in medium to long-term conservation facilities so as to be able to reconstitute the breed in terms of extinction.
The interactive visualizations show data for this indicator. The first chart shows the number of unique plant genetic samples in conservation facilities in each country. The second and third charts show the number of local and transboundary animal breeds for which sufficient genetic material is stored.
Target: By 2020, “maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species.” 7
Unlike most SDG targets, which are set for 2030, this target was set for 2020.
SDG Indicator 2.5.2Local breeds at risk of extinction
Definition of SDG indicator: Indicator 2.5.2 is the “proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk, not at risk or at unknown level of risk of extinction” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured as the percentage of local livestock breeds, among those local breeds with a known risk status, which are classified as being at risk of extinction at a certain point in time.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: By 2020, “maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species.” 7
Unlike most SDG targets, which are set for 2030, this target was set for 2020.
Target 2.aInvest in rural infrastructure, agricultural research, technology and gene banks
SDG Indicator 2.a.1Agriculture orientation index
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.a.1 is the “agriculture orientation index for government expenditures” in the UN SDG framework.
The agriculture orientation index (AOI) is the agriculture share of government expenditures, divided by the agriculture share of GDP.
An AOI larger than 1 means the agriculture sector receives a higher share of government spending relative to its economic value, while an AOI smaller than 1 reflects a lower orientation to agriculture.
Data on this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: By 2030 “increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks.”8
SDG Indicator 2.a.2Official flows to agriculture
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.a.2 is “total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured as disbursements of official development assistance (ODA) and other official flows to the agriculture sector.
Official development assistance refers to flows to countries and territories on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and to multilateral institutions which meet a set of criteria related to the source of the funding, the purpose of the transaction, and the concessional nature of the funding.
Data for this indicator is shown by recipient country in the interactive visualization.
Target: By 2030 “increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks.”8
Target 2.bPrevent agricultural trade restrictions, market distortions and export subsidies
SDG Indicator 2.b.1Agricultural export subsidies
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.b.1 is “agricultural export subsidies” in the UN SDG framework.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: By 2030 “correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round.”
This target requires an elimination of agricultural export subsidies by 2030.
Target 2.cEnsure stable food commodity markets and timely access to information
SDG Indicator 2.c.1Food price anomalies
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 2.c.1 is the “indicator of food price anomalies” in the UN SDG framework.
The indicator of food price anomalies (IFPA) identifies market prices that are unusually high, by evaluating growth in prices over a particular month for many years, while taking into account seasonality in agricultural markets and inflation.
Data on this indicator is shown in the first interactive visualization. A related measure, the share of countries recording high food prices, is provided in the second visualization for further context.
Target: By 2030 “adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility.”
More research: Further data and research can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Food Prices.
Endnotes
Full text: “By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.”
Full text: “Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age.”
Full text:”By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.”
Full text: “Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight).”
Full text: “By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.”
Full text: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.”
Full text: “By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.”
Full text: “Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries.”
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Our World in Data team (2023) - “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” Published online at OurWorldinData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/sdgs/zero-hunger' [Online Resource]BibTeX citation
@article{owid-sdgs-zero-hunger,
author = {Our World in Data team},
title = {End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture},
journal = {Our World in Data},
year = {2023},
note = {https://ourworldindata.org/sdgs/zero-hunger}
}
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