To facilitate individual and collective action to transform the systems of inequity that create hunger and cause it to persist.
What We do
We help communities and people build resilience – not reliance.
Hunger feeds off inequality, so we put women and girls at the heart of our work.
GENERAL FAQs
What does The Hunger Project do?
We build resilience rather than reliance. Our approach is different depending on which country we’re ending hunger in – check out our Global Image page.
How many people are hungry?
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that there are now 783 million hungry people in the world. Africa bears the brunt of this crisis, with 20% of its population in severe hunger. Women and girls are left to go hungry more than men and boys, due to gender inequality.
What do you mean by hunger?
Chronic, persistent hunger is entrenched in a community over generations and is not due only to lack of food. It occurs when people aren’t given the opportunity to earn enough income, to be educated and gain skills, to meet basic health needs and have a voice in the decisions that affect their community.
Why don’t you distribute food?
While food aid has a place in the short-term relief of hunger, it’s not a sustainable or long-term solution.
We address the systemic causes of hunger, such as gender inequality, injustice, climate change and poverty It enables women and men to eradicate persistent hunger in their communities and makes them more resilient into the future.
Why does your work focus on women and girls?
There is overwhelming evidence — and our own experience has shown us — that the end of world hunger cannot be achieved without addressing gender inequality.
Women bear the major responsibility for meeting basic needs, yet are systematically denied the resources, freedom of action and voice in decision-making to fulfill that responsibility.
How does The Hunger Project choose in which countries it will work?
The Hunger Project only establishes a program in a country when: (a) the country has sufficient peace and commitment to democratic process that a people-centered approach can be sustained; (b) we are invited by, and have access to, top-level leadership such that our successes in the country can influence government; (c) the country is one with a significantly large population living in absolute poverty; and (d) we have enough resources to ensure that, once we start, we can stay the course.
What have our programs achieved?
The Hunger Project reaches 12 million people in remote villages across India, Africa, Bangladesh and Latin America. Head over to our Impact Stories page to read more about the impact our work has.
With all the problems here at home, why should I be concerned with hunger overseas?
The problems we face, both at home and internationally, are increasingly global, such as climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, conflict and political instability.
We are committed to ending world hunger as an expression of global citizenship, global partnership and global responsibility. We think it’s unacceptable that thousands of people are dying from hunger when there is enough food in the world to feed everyone.
