805 million people globally do not have enough food to lead a healthy and active life. Poor nutrition causes 3.1 million child deaths each year. US $3.2 billion is needed per year to reach all 66 million hungry school-age children.
In 2015, Global Citizen / Global Poverty Project was one of the most active groups campaigning for the G7 to make a new commitment to reducing global hunger.
To coincide with the G7 we ran (in partnership with ONE) a 5,000 person event in Munich, at which Federal Development Minister Dr. Gerd Mueller urged the G7 to end hunger, using the United Against Poverty event as enabling public environment to leverage the landmark commitment by the G7 two days later, which is set to lift 500 million people out of hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
#G7 leaders commit to prioritize global nutrition! https://t.co/OibsfDDVpw
— Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) May 27, 2016
Since then, we have been campaigning with partners to get the G7 and its members (US, UK, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, UK) to outline an accountability framework and financing mechanism to make this commitment more than a promise. More than 65,000 global citizens have taken action, we have done handovers and meetings with key decision-makers, and been a leader of the NGO working group.
This year’s G7 in Japan is an important stepping stone in this process, the end objective of which is for the Italians - who host the G7 next year - to commit to deliver both the accountability framework and a fully funded plan from all countries by the end of their summit in mid-2017.
Our current focus in this joint sector campaign is to get PM Renzi of Italy announce their $ pledge and commitment to put this on the agenda at their G7 next year. However, disappointingly, Renzi made no commitment on stage at the 2016 Global Citizen Festival.
Global Citizens tweeted him, petitioned him, and called his embassies in key capitals around the world, urging him to attend the Global Citizen Festival and make a robust commitment to end global hunger. Chelsea Handler even face dove into a bowl of pasta.
Italy, previously a champion for food aid and now convening the G7 2017, has a unique ability to influence next year’s G7 agenda to include food and hunger as a priority. We know Renzi has heard our campaign.
Go here to take action and tell Renzi how important this is.