In the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the world community committed itself to halving the number of people living in absolute poverty – that is, people suffering from hunger – by 2015. Governments are called upon to implement long-term political plans to achieve food security for all their country’s citizens.

The global dimension: Hunger remains a constant
Although there is sufficient food production on a global scale, food insecurity in many developing countries represents an ongoing challenge. The reasons for this include poverty, stagnating food production alongside increasing population growth, resource degradation, the spread of HIV/AIDS, the neglect of rural areas, wars and the consequences of natural disasters. As a result, more than 800 million people around the world continue to go hungry. According to WHO, more people die today from the impacts of hunger and undernourishment than from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis put together.

Policy advice: A basis for launching successful food strategies
By providing policy advice on a wide range of specific issues, GTZ seeks to lay the foundations of sustainable food security for population groups in both urban and rural parts of a country. This process is designed to culminate in the planning and implementation of appropriate food strategies.

In matters of food security, GTZ works closely with the most important development actors from the state, parastatal and private sectors. This cooperation ranges from specialist advice and training through to monetary grants for specific measures. GTZ often acts as a facilitator in processes of national coordination. In addition, it advises the German Government on how to fulfil its international obligations and works to raise public awareness.

GTZ supports national and international organisations in the following major areas:

• national strategies for food security
• shaping international frameworks for action
• implementing strategies at national and regional level.

Institutions and organisations in both the state and private sectors in our partner countries now focus their strategies and plans on food security more than ever before. Despite a multi-layered set of problems, improvements in coordination are helping to bring about more effective implementation of measures aimed at poverty and hunger reduction. The importance of food security policy has long begun to receive greater public attention and recognition.