Hunger and food insecurity are among the most pressing challenges facing Brazil and the world. Despite significant progress in the last year, Brazil still appears on the UN Hunger Map, with millions of people living without regular access to food.
According to the latest PNAD Contínua survey by IBGE, around 64 million Brazilians faced some degree of food insecurity in 2023. This alarming scenario contrasts with the annual production of 161 million tons of food, of which 55 million are lost and wasted.
It is in this context that the Pact Against Hunger Institute, a cross-partisan, multi-sector coalition dedicated to helping eradicate hunger and food waste.
The initiative is set up as a Philanthropic Fund and has the financial and administrative management of Sitawi. This partnership ensures that the resources are applied efficiently in projects and actions that promote food security and structurally reduce food waste in Brazil.
Among the Fund's main projects is the Pact Against Hunger Award, carried out in cooperation with institutions such as UNESCO, FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Food Programme (WFP). In its 2023 and 2024 editions, the Award highlighted initiatives that work to promote food security and combat waste in the country, totaling R$1.2 million in prizes, in addition to financial mentoring.
In the 2023 edition, one of the Philanthropic Funds managed by us, Orgânico Solidário, won in the “Promotion of food security | emergency action” category. Since 2020, the initiative has been bridging the gap between donors, producers and beneficiaries. Using the resources received from donations, Orgânico Solidário purchases products from small farmers and ensures that the baskets reach families in socially vulnerable situations.
Food insecurity: understand the levels
Understanding the differences between levels of food insecurity is essential to creating more effective solutions. Understanding the causes of this problem and the most affected territories allows public policies and social initiatives to be targeted more broadly and effectively, preventing families in a situation of mild or moderate insecurity from reaching the most critical level: hunger.
- Mild food insecurity: concern or uncertainty about having access to food in the future, leading to a reduction in the quality of food;
- Moderate food insecurity: decrease in the amount of food consumed or significant change in eating habits;
- Severe food insecurity (hunger): extreme deprivation, in which people go days without eating or depend on just one meal a day.
Advocacy and global impact
The Pact Against Hunger stands out for its use of data and evidence to guide public policies, promoting agendas focused on food security, reducing food loss and waste, and transitioning food systems. At the international level, the institute was present at the G20, joining the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, reaffirming its commitment to global solutions to eradicate hunger.
The institute is also a member of the C20, a subgroup of the G20 formed by civil society organizations with the aim of supporting global leaders in the formulation of public policies and the UN Global Compact.
The Philanthropic Fund Pact Against Hunger represents a robust response to a structural problem. Learn more about the initiative here: Home – Pact Against Hunger
