The hunger eradication mission is designed to bring this terrifying figure to ZERO. The first country to face this challenge in 2003 was Brazil; then, the government of this country helped millions to get rid of poverty and hunger. Hunger eradication is the second of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supported by all UN organizations (Gardner, Green, Gardner, & Geddes, 2018). States, private companies, and citizens around the world have to work hard to achieve these 17 goals by 2030, starting with the eradication of poverty and hunger.
As part of this task, many exciting programs have been launched, and most of them are aimed at families and small communities. Almost all measures include training and the exchange of information and technology. Studying is the best way to learn about how to use resources and improve people’s lives: explore the territory, new methods of cultivation, climate change, and threats to human health. It is also important to learn advanced technologies and learn how they could help the most vulnerable people, as well as contribute to the achievement of the common good.
Seeking to address the most critical challenges that are reflected in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and in the draft Addis Ababa Agreement, namely, the statement “Our goal is to eradicate poverty and hunger”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Program (WFP) have prepared new estimates of the additional investment needed to end hunger sustainably 2030 year (Gardner et al, 2018). This problem is also being studied by such scientists as Dr. Ratan Kumar Singh, De Onis, M., Gardner, H., Szabo, S., and others.
Zero hunger this is a phenomenon whose goal is to ensure food security, improve nutrition, and develop sustainable agriculture. Every day around the world, a massive number of men and women are in constant search of food to feed their children. The elimination of hunger and malnutrition is one of the most critical tasks of modern society. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considered a food-safe country, but product imports, fragile agriculture create conditions for zero hunger in the country. If society does not stop the effects of starvation or malnutrition, then it will impede progress in many other areas of public life, such as education and work. This paper will research the problem, causes, and consequences of zero hunger in Abu Dhabi.
Zero hunger problems are present even in one of the richest countries in the world. In 2017, the UAE was ranked eighth in the list of the wealthiest countries in the world due to its status as a global fossil fuel supplier (Gardner et al, 2018). Although the country is considered secure in the provision, its strong dependence on food imports, unsustainable agriculture, and overfishing present unique problems for zero hunger. In 2018, the UAE ranked 31st in the Global Food Security Economist Index, with a score of 72.5 out of 100 (Szabo et al., 2018). These data indicate that there is a gradual upward trend in food security in the country.
In Abu Dhabi, about 17% of children under the age of five are malnourished and are often delayed in growth. This indicator is considered quite high compared to western countries (De Onis & Branca, 2016). Abu Dhabi’s economy focuses heavily on the tourism industry, and therefore, many hotels and restaurants are forced to produce large amounts of food for tourists that, in most cases, are not entirely consumed. Because of this, product waste is a problem for the country, which spends more than $ 3.54 billion to dispose of food.
The main problem of provision sustainability in Abu Dhabi stems from the lack of domestic food production. Less than 5% of the land is suitable for agricultural production, with an average annual rainfall of only 3.85 inches per year (Singh, Dubey, & Abhilash, 2018). Due to these factors, 90 % of food is imported into the country. The UAE is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world (Mason-D’Croz et al., 2019). Agriculture can be affected by intense heat, insects, floods, and water shortages. Abu Dhabi may also be struck by the threat of a global food crisis since the country imports most of their products.
The fishing industry, which is a major source of food security for the country, is declining massively. Research by the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi has found that 85% of the population of two key fish species, grouper and rabbitfish, has declined in the Arabian Gulf (Gills, Sharma, & Bhardwaj, 2015). Many experts began to worry about the potential impact of global warming on fish supplies to the ocean surrounding the UAE. Higher temperatures and changes in oxygen levels can make the bay unsuitable for many fish species (De Onis & Branca, 2016). Given the importance of the fishing industry, the economy and the food supply of the country can be affected.
Thus, in Abu Dhabi, the main problem with zero hunger is that all the forces go to meet the food needs of tourists, which causes the excessive processing of products. Another adverse reason of zero hunger is the climatic conditions for agriculture. The fishing industry, due to global climatic conditions and overfishing, reduces the prevalence of fish species in the Arabian Gulf. When the UAE can find ways to overcome the potential threat of climate change and resource depletion, it will be able to create more sustainable sources of food for citizens.
References
De Onis, M., & Branca, F. (2016). Childhood stunting: A global perspective. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 12, 12-26.
Gardner, H., Green, K., Gardner, A. S., & Geddes, D. (2018). Observations on the health of infants at a time of rapid societal change: A longitudinal study from birth to fifteen months in Abu Dhabi. BMC Pediatrics, 18(1), 32.
Gills, R., Sharma, J. P., & Bhardwaj, T. (2015). Achieving zero hunger through zero wastage: An overview of present scenario and future reflections. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 85(9), 1127-1133.
Mason-D’Croz, D., Sulser, T. B., Wiebe, K., Rosegrant, M. W., Lowder, S. K., Nin-Pratt, A., … Robertson, R. D. (2019). Agricultural investments and hunger in Africa modeling potential contributions to SDG2–Zero Hunger. World Development, 116, 38-53.
Singh, A., Dubey, P. K., & Abhilash, P. C. (2018). Food for thought: Putting wild edibles back on the table for combating hidden hunger in developing countries. Current Science 115(4), 611-613.
Szabo, S., Hossain, M. S., Renaud, F., Traore, D., Hussain, A., Matczak, P., … Matthews, Z. (2018). Accelerating progress toward the zero hunger goal in cross-boundary climate change hotspots. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 60(3), 18-27.