What is the most effective way to end hunger sustainably? And what would it cost? These two questions are central to a new initiative: Ceres2030 aims at giving answers to the fundamental endeavour to evaluate the benefits, costs and trade-offs of agricultural interventions to ensure effective action. The project is a joint initiative by International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Cornell University and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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Farsighted calculation: Building consensus on the best way to end hunger
Ceres2030 combines state-of-the-art modelling techniques with research mining of expert evidence to build consensus for the donor community on the best way to end hunger sustainably, with costs and effective solutions. With the recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach will not solve the complex problems at hand, Ceres2030 will evaluate the benefits, costs and trade-offs of agricultural interventions to ensure effective action.
According to the project’s first estimates, it will cost an extra USD 11 billion per year from now until 2030 to largely eradicate hunger. This is an additional three percent increase in existing aid levels to achieve SDG 2, which is central to reaching all other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Launch at CFS45
The Ceres2030 project is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, both members of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development. Together with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and Cornell University and the governments of Ghana and Kenya, the project was launched at a side-event during CFS45.
As one of the project initiators, Ammad Bahalim of the Gates Foundations emphasized the value of the results for his organization – to agree on what are the most effective interventions to end hunger and to do so for a long period of time, regardless of evolving donor strategies.
Also present in the expert panel were the lead researchers:
- Jaron Porciello, Cornell University
- David Laborde, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
- Carin Smaller, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
and representatives of Nigeria and Ghana, who expressed the significance of this research for their countries’ existing programmes to eradicate hunger and poverty and ultimately the farming communities these programmes support.
“No farmer no food, no food no nation.”
Opinion | H.E. Yusuf Jonga Hinna, Ambassador of Nigeria to Italy
Next steps
This year Ceres2030 is beginning a proactive engagement strategy with policy-makers and the scientific and donor communities. Impact and assessment experts will provide feedback on the selected tools. To build consensus, a journal advisory board will advise on topics and author candidates to contribute to a focused collection of seven to ten articles that will be published in Nature, the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal, at the end of 2019.
