A United Front Against Hunger: The 5th International Social Justice Conference and 6th Social Justice Summit

Despite efforts to alleviate it, millions of people around the world are still struggling with hunger. Issues of food insecurity continue to be a major concern, even if agricultural technology and global economic growth have made great progress. Achieving "Zero Hunger," the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) set by the United Nations, highlights how critical it is to tackle this issue immediately.

To delve deeper into the complex interplay between hunger, social justice, and human rights, the 5th International Conference on Social Justice and the Sustainable Development Goal on Zero Hunger as well as the 6th Social Justice Summit convened experts from diverse fields. The main aims were to review the latest research, policies, and legal developments to accelerate progress towards a hunger-free future.

Prominent social justice advocate Prof. Thuli Madonsela drew attention to the worrying normalization of hunger, which threatens the basic human right to food. She urged the audience to embrace the "justice of eating," a notion that encompasses equity and dignity in addition to basic nutrition.

In his remarks, Justice Edwin Cameron, a retired judge of South Africa’s Constitutional Court, said “We have enough food to feed everyone, yet everyone is not fed.” He highlighted why it was important to know that “the remedy lies within our own urgency.” 

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni emphasized that innovation was key to addressing the planet’s challenges. By investing in research and development, new ways could be found to ensure equitable access to land and nutritious food, even in the face of drought.

"Hunger is not simply a matter of inadequate food supply; it represents a critical human rights issue and a key objective to achieve within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," stated Nelson Muffuh, the UN Resident Coordinator in South Africa. “Hunger violates human dignity, which we need to work tirelessly to end. Working together to address root causes such as poverty, inequality, and climate change we can achieve a food secure world.”

For many, the summit and conference were a turning point that prompted them to continue to act and make a difference for a fairer and more just world. Participants came away from the event with a renewed sense of urgency in the importance of food security because of the opportunities it presented for conversation, information exchange, and collaboration. The emphasis was that everyone should be able to get the food they need to live and thrive, no matter their socioeconomic status or other factors.