The UK Government’s work on achieving SDG2: Zero Hunger

International Development Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 20 Oct 2023 Closed: 9 Jun 2025 Parliament page
This inquiry examined the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and wider UK Government’s work on hunger and nutrition around the world and work towards achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 in line with SDG2. It examined the impact on this work of significant ongoing cuts to the UK aid budget. … Read more
29 Recommendations
8 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
4 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
22 May
2025
Report published
18 Mar
2025
Report published
4 Feb
2025
Oral evidence
4 Feb
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
7 Jan
2025
Correspondence
7 Jan
2025
Correspondence
10 Dec
2024
Oral evidence
10 Dec
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Macmillan Room, Portcullis House
7 May
2024
Correspondence
7 May
2024
Correspondence
12 Mar
2024
Oral evidence
12 Mar
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
4 Feb 2025
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The UK Government’s work on achieving SDG2: Zero Hunger
Chris Carter · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Jen Haugen · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
10 Dec 2024
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The UK Government’s work on achieving SDG2: Zero Hunger
Dr. Shaikh Tanveer Ahmed · HANDS Foundation Mr Brieuc Pont · Government of France Mrs Melina Mtonga · Find Your Feet Malawi Ms Massiye Nyang’wa · Malawi Violet Natembeya · Kenya
12 Mar 2024
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The UK Government’s work on achieving SDG2: Zero Hunger
Dr Diana Onyango · Farm Africa Dr Rachael McDonnell Jyotsna Puri · International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Rt Hon Rory Stewart · Give Directly Ruchi Tripathi · VSO
30 Jan 2024
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The UK Government’s work on achieving SDG2: Zero Hunger
Abigail Perry · World Food Programme Dr Mairo Mandara · United Against Malnutrition and Hunger Florian Monnerie · Action against Hunger Grainne Moloney · UNICEF Tariro Washaya · MeDRA (Methodist Relief and Development Agency) Zimbabwe Victor Mughogho · Eagles Malawi
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - The Government’s efforts to achieve SDG2: Zero Hung… HC 515 18 Mar 2025 37 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
10 results
Clear
6 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
UK poverty alleviation tools need greater sensitivity to smallholder farmers' vital role.
Smallholder farmers in low-income countries are vital players in sustainable food systems. We welcome some of the steps taken to assess the impact of new trade deals on low-income countries. Currently, though, there is more to be done to ensure … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, highlighting existing ODA programmes and trade agreement assessment frameworks that consider smallholder farmers. They do not believe a separate assessment is currently warranted but will consider it in 2026, subject to the Spending Review.
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7 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Assess and adjust trade, agriculture, climate, and gender programmes for smallholder farmers.
We recommend the Government assess its trade, agriculture, climate and gender programmes against the impact they have on smallholder farmers. Where necessary, these programmes should be adjusted to mitigate harm against smallholder famers and to enhance their place within sustainable … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating existing safeguarding frameworks and impact assessments already consider smallholder farmers. It will consider a further impact assessment in 2026, but does not deem a separate assessment warranted at this stage due to the ongoing Spending Review.
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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Ensure Official Development Assistance for nutrition and food security programming is predictable and long-term.
We recommend that the FCDO put measures in place to ensure that all Official Development Assistance committed to nutrition and food security related programming is predictable and long term, with better safeguards against, and warnings of, any changes to funding … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, acknowledging the value of predictable programming and noting the FCDO's ODA budget will have greater certainty. However, final 2025/26 allocations are pending the Spending Review, though they commit to managing funding changes responsibly and informing partners.
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15 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
UK trade policy needs to reflect SDG2 aspirations regarding food-insecure populations.
UK trade policy needs to reflect the Government’s aspirations for achieving SDG2 with a continued commitment to comprehensive assessments of the impact of trade deals on food-insecure populations and a focus on reforming trading rules that compound food insecurity. (Conclusion, … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it already has frameworks for assessing trade deals and ODA impact, and will consider further impact assessments in 2026, depending on the Spending Review.
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18 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Demonstrate top-level government commitment to UK leadership in tackling global hunger challenges.
Successive UK Governments have been innovative and effective leaders in the efforts to tackle hunger. The UK has the convening power and expertise to be a considerable force for good in tackling the challenges of international fundraising, trade reform, climate … Read more
Government Response
The government states its commitment to maintaining leadership on food security and nutrition, citing the launch of the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration. However, it defers setting out a roadmap for future pledges until the Spending Review is finalised in 2025.
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19 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Government has an excellent opportunity to demonstrate leadership on SDG2 at Nutrition for Growth.
The Government has an excellent opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to leadership on SDG2 by doing everything it can to ensure that the Nutrition for Growth summit is a success. We wait with anticipation for the announcements the Government intends … Read more
Government Response
The government launched the Global Compact on Nutrition Integration to boost impact and leverage finance for nutrition across sectors. However, it was unable to make a funding commitment at the summit due to an ongoing Spending Review and will explore future pledges in 2025.
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28 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Ensure long-term financial support for RUTF/MMS and pledge £50m to the Child Nutrition Fund.
The Government should work with governments and organisations to ensure continued long-term, predictable financial support for Ready-to use Therapeutic Foods and Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation packs, to address the needs of children and pregnant women in humanitarian situations. This should support … Read more
Government Response
The government partially agrees, accepting the importance of predictable, long-term funding for nutrition commodities, local production, and partnership. They highlight existing significant contributions to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) and successful support for local RUTF production, but defer a decision on a specific £50 million pledge pending the Spending Review.
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31 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Sustained focus on underlying hunger causes and whole-of-government approach remains crucial.
We are encouraged that the department appears to understand the importance of harmonising development programming and the importance of considering issues of age, gender, nutrition and food security across the piece. However, it is important that this Government build on … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees in principle to a common, coordinated, whole-of-government approach to fighting hunger, with FCDO collaborating with other departments. However, it defers decisions on delivery frameworks for future work until the completion of the ongoing Spending Review.
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34 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Integrate SDG2 as a cross-cutting issue across diplomatic activity, mandating reporting by heads of missions.
Beyond the Nutrition for Growth summit, we encourage the Government to see SDG2 as an issue of vital strategic importance to the UK’s national and international interests. Consequently, it should be adopted as a cross- cutting issue across diplomatic activity … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees to prioritize SDG2 as a cross-cutting issue within FCDO, committing to developing a roadmap for its Global Nutrition Integration Compact in 2025. However, it defers action on making it a broader cross-government priority, citing capacity limits and the ongoing spending review.
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36 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - The Government’s effo…
Provide clear guidance for commissioning research coherent with hunger-fighting aspirations and food systems.
The Government needs to ensure that research is coherent with its aspirations to fighting hunger and considers the inter-related factors facing nutrition and food systems. As part of the Zero Hunger delivery framework there should be clear guidance on this … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees research must address interconnected factors impacting nutrition and food systems, highlighting its existing food systems approach and the Gilbert Initiative. The response does not, however, explicitly commit to providing new clear guidance for those commissioning research.
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Government Response AI assessment · 37 of 29 classified
Accepted 11
Accepted in Part 10
Acknowledged 1
Deferred 10
Not Addressed 2
Rejected 3
Total 29 recs + 8 conclusions
Correspondence 4 letters
7 Jan 2025 Correspondence from the Minister of State for Development relating to The Task Force for a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, 13 December 2024
Parliament page
7 Jan 2025 Correspondence to the Minister of State for Development relating to The Task Force for a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, 30 October 2024
Parliament page
7 May 2024 Correspondence from the Minister for Development & Africa relating to The role of consultants in food security programming - 30 April 2024
Parliament page
7 May 2024 Correspondence to the Minister for Development & Africa relating to The role of consultants in food security programming - 26 March 2024
Parliament page