United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 from an East-West Seed perspective
With only six years left and approximately 735 million people dealing with hunger daily, how achievable is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (UN SDG) which seeks to “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture“?
According to the UN, “more than 600 million people worldwide will be facing hunger in 2030”, emphasizing the significant difficulty in reaching the goal of eradicating hunger. In a radio interview on Dutch business radio channel BNR Nieuwsradio, Rutger Groot shared his views on the matter and the role that private companies can play in this global fight against hunger.
The ambitious nature of UN SDG Goal 2
“Unfortunately it has proven to be way too optimistic,” Rutger Groot remarked, when asked about the possibility of achieving SDG 2 by 2030. However, Rutger was quick to emphasize that this does not take away from the responsibility that companies like East-West Seed have to strive towards eradicating hunger completely. The journey towards a hunger-free world is complex and demands concerted efforts.
Collective efforts
Rutger highlighted the critical need for collective action, stating: “And we cannot do this alone. We need as many companies and organizations as possible to work together to make sure that we achieve this.” The problem of global hunger is pervasive, touching every corner of the globe, including in the 74+ markets that East-West Seed serves. This is also why in 2022, East-West Seed pledged $18 million as part of the Zero Hunger Pledge. The UN Pledge emerged as a result of the Food Systems Summit in 2021 as a plea to governments, NGOs and companies to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. But, as Rutger pointed out, it requires more than just the efforts of a few; it necessitates a global movement, with businesses, governments, and civil society increasingly rallying in partnerships behind the cause.
East-West Seed: the business model
For East-West Seed, the mission to combat hunger is woven in the fabric of the business model. “For us, we have placed this mission at the heart of our business model,” Rutger explained. Having a purpose-driven approach and placing a global challenge into the core business strategy ensures that creating profit is merely a tool to foster sustainable agricultural practices, improving crop yields, and making nutritious food more accessible to all, thus making a tangible difference in the world. East-West Seed founder Simon Groot spoke further about this in a recent interview with the Dutch Financieel Dagblad.
Ultimately, Rutger’s message is clear: the fight against global hunger is one that requires the support and collaboration of everyone. While the goal to end all hunger may seem overly ambitious, it is the collective responsibility of the global community to strive towards this objective. East-West Seed is aware that a lot still needs to happen. But that with commitment, innovation, and collaboration, it is possible to make significant strides towards achieving food security for all.
By placing the mission to end hunger at the core of business models, companies can play a pivotal role in achieving UN SDG 2.
East-West Seed is proud to have been mentioned by Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Geoffrey van Leeuwen, as an example of a company that is working hard to support the SDGs, during the Budget Debate on Development Cooperation in Dutch parliament.
