Cost of Ending Hunger – Consequences of Complacency, and Financial Needs for SDG2 Achievement

Abstract

This study follows from an earlier assessment carried out by ZEF and FAO in 2020, which identified policy actions and investments needed to achieve SDG2 by 2030. The 2020 study used a marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) to identify a mix of best least-cost investment options with the highest potential for reduction in hunger and malnutrition over the decade of 2020 to 2030. In light of recent developments in food insecurity and related drivers, such as inflation and changed contexts, this study now recalculates the investment needs and reevaluates priority interventions to achieve the ambitious target of Zero Hunger. Two different analyses are provided:<br /> • <b>“Urgency for 2030” – actions with short-term impactful investments:</b> The study presents a short-term focused Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) analysis, identifying interventions that can be feasibly invested in to achieve significant hunger reduction by 2030, i.e. mostly transfers.<br /> • <b>“Realism with urgency” – investing for ending hunger by 2040 without further delay:</b> The need to prioritize interventions with sustained longer-term impacts jointly with the short-term actions are identified, i.e. a MACC analysis that also considers investments requiring more time to take effect beyond 2030.<br /> Most of these interventions interact and complement each other. In order to gain an additional perspective, we use the MIRAGRODEP model to simulate the cost consequences of “lost years”.