Effective Public Policies and Active Citizenship

Since it was launched in 2003, Brazil’s Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) strategy has allowed 28 million people to break free from the cycle of hunger.

These impressive figures suggest that public policy can have a significant impact in the fight against hunger. This report looks at some of the conditions contributing to the success of the strategy, including political will combined with a plan that is coherent, consistent, multidimensional and participatory.

The United Nations launched the Zero Hunger Challenge in 2012, and countries and regions around the world are looking at the lessons from Brazil’s experience. In West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has initiated a process for achieving Zero Hunger in West Africa.

An editorial by the West Africa GROW campaign and a preface by Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (2008–2014) is included as a separate documents. The editorial reflects on the practicalities and challenges in terms of social mobilization and the sub-region’s capacities to carry such an ambitious initiative.

A key question we look to address: How can the necessary political will be ensured in a region of diverse states?