Editor's Note [Volume 24 No. 5 (2024)]

https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.130.ED140

Zero Hunger by 2030: Why it is a pipe dream

As we release this issue of AJFAND, the world seems extremely unsettled, with wars and conflicts everywhere and nature displaying great displeasure. We see and read of weather events globally killing both humans and animals, and destroying crops and infrastructure. People and mostly the poor in the Horn of Africa are losing their source of livelihood, pointing to a situation where Zero Hunger by 2030 is further compromised. So, as we organise big forums to discuss how to end hunger, let us remember to keep our eye on the ball. For example, the 2nd fertilizer summit organized by the African Union just concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, on 8th May, 2024. Unlike the first summit which was held in 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria, this particular summit put a lot of emphasis on soils. In fact, one would have imagined that it was on soils rather on fertilizer. Clearly the two are like co-joined twins. The Nairobi summit was actually very well attended, with 33 out of 54 African countries represented by delegations led by their Ministries of Agriculture. A number of heads of state were also in attendance. This has been 18 years since the first summit. I was not sure what to expect. Eighteen years is a long time. There was, as always, a DECLARATION read out even before the Summit concluded. We wait to see what will follow. Then I attended another workshop which was discussing school feeding, a very emotive issue in Kenya right now as the Kenya Government's 2024 budget has excluded school feeding. So we are wondering what the rationale for this is. We are aware the economy is pinching. Are we truly serious about achieving Zero hunger by 2030? Some of us raised our concerns and now we read that, that decision has been rescinded. This world just seems to be about fighting for one’s rights or others’ rights. Hopefully, someday, there will be enough political will to get the right things done. Please take time to enjoy 14 well written, thoroughly reviewed scholarly articles, with tangible recommendations for both policy and programs.

Prof. Ruth Khasaya Oniang'o
Founder and Editor-in-Chief, AJFAND
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8344-9093