The Social Gastronomy Movement and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: Fighting hunger through collaboration and partnerships

The SGM community works to fight malnutrition and poverty as new reports show that there will be an 82 percent increase in hunger worldwide by the end of 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on global hunger levels are now becoming clearer. According to the World Food Programme's new estimates, released on July 2, the number of people living in hunger worldwide could increase to 270 million by the end of this year -- an increase of 82 percent from pre-pandemic figures. 

What was already a complex issue to solve now poses a more daunting challenge, thanks to coronavirus. Many global efforts to support those who are hungry and the most vulnerable, as well as protect the climate, demand a coordinated response through one single framework to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. 

The Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM) believes in the capacity of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to reduce and eliminate poverty and hunger, provide economic opportunities for all, and secure a healthy planet and population for the future. We also believe in the importance -- and trust in the efficacy -- of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, which is why our mission statement focuses on engaging people in the food systems to collaborate for social change. 

For the past year, SGM has been designing its governance strategy based on a model of Connection, Collaboration, and Partnerships, or CCP. This model expresses our belief that the foundation of this Movement has always been gathering social entrepreneurs and stakeholders working in different stages of the food cycle who believe that food can be a tool for social transformation and proven it through their work. 

SGM works every day to strengthen different organizations around the world that are tackling SDGs. Our work touches upon various Sustainable Development Goals aside from Partnerships, ranging from the end of Poverty to Zero Hunger, from Reducing Inequalities to Climate Change, amongst others. We know that each person has the ability to connect to other local actors to co-create effective change targeted at their community’s challenges. Each project leader knows best what to prioritize and how to best address those issues - through education, vocational training for marginalized populations, sustainable and/or urban farming, or any other ideas. 

There is a great potential in connecting these actors, supporting their collaboration, and giving them the tools they need to share knowledge, support each other, and create real change. We believe that the most effective way of achieving our goals is by working together to co-create institutional change. We are always strongest when we lift each other up. We always go the farthest when we help each other along. And we make the most impact when we are working together to hit a common target. 

To learn more about what SGM does, read Our Story. 

Are you an organization working with food to create change in your community? You can apply for funding now through July 24 via our Food Solidarity Fund.