According to the Global Hunger Index, over 828 million people go hungry daily. In addition, 29.6% of the world’s population (2.3 billion people) do not have adequate access to food. With these numbers showing that global hunger is a widespread and persistent issue, WhyHunger is committed to finding lasting solutions.

The Approach

WhyHunger identifies that hunger exists in our world because people can neither afford to buy food nor have access to the land, water and other resources necessary to produce their food. As a result, it is often decided that hunger is the problem; however, WhyHunger takes a different approach.

Instead of deciding that hunger is the problem, something that can limit solutions to food charity and distribution, WhyHunger looks at the root causes and defines hunger as a symptom. The organization believes that taking this approach is the first step to finding lasting solutions to the complex economic, social and environmental issues that lie at the source.

The Solutions

Among the many lasting solutions of WhyHunger, three have had incredibly tremendous impacts. First, growing grassroots power lies at the core of WhyHunger’s approach to building lasting solutions to hunger. By developing partnerships and allying with grassroots leaders and organizations, the initiative can support grassroots factors committed to ending global hunger.

Second, WhyHunger believes that lasting societal transformations occur when individuals, particularly those most vulnerable, work together towards common goals and visions for society. Therefore, social movements express this shared desire to address the injustices that lead to hunger and movements that WhyHunger supports in the quest for food justice.

Third, WhyHunger frames the solution to hunger as a human right. This framing acts as a catalyst for lasting, systemic change and thus holds institutions responsible for protecting and fulfilling the right to food for all people. As a member of the Global Network on the Right to Food, WhyHunger can actively protect this right to food as a human right across the globe.

The Impact

Due to the significant impact of WhyHunger, the Duke Sanford World Food Policy Center at Duke University singles out the organization as a leader in the movement to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food in the U.S. and in communities around the world.

Since its establishment in 1975, WhyHunger has supplied $1.2 million to support and train 103,999 farmers in 68 countries to grow nutritious food to feed themselves and their communities in need. WhyHunger also works in partnerships to connect children to free, healthy meals in the summer when childhood hunger spikes. The nonprofit has succeeded in connecting 2.4 million children to these meals. Finally, WhyHunger has granted $532,280 to 85 grassroots partners and social movements to help their communities develop lasting solutions to hunger.

Through these impacts, WhyHunger continues to lead the fight against hunger. Although this fight is ongoing, the good news is that much progress has already been made. The organization believes that a world without hunger is possible and is committed to finding lasting solutions until that world is realized.

– Olivia Pitrof
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