UCC makes World Food Day commitment to actions to address global hunger

16 Oct 2018

UCC has signalled its commitment on World Food Day (16th October) to addressing global food security issues through its teaching, research, and student and public engagement. President O'Shea today signed the Presidents United to Solve Hunger (PUSH) commitment, making UCC the first Irish University to sign this commitment and joining about 100 Universities worldwide who have already done so.

Tackling global hunger is a major challenge facing society. Currently 820 million people worldwide go hungry: this number has increased in the last three years. Malnutrition in all its forms affects one in three people worldwide. UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to achieve zero hunger by 2030 and calls on societal actors to join together to achieve this goal. Universities can play a major role in contributing to tackling global hunger and malnutrition, through advanced research, teaching and societal engagement.

UCC has expertise and engagement across a wide range of relevant disciplines and themes that can contribute to addressing this global challenge. This includes the scientific and business expertise of the "Food" disciplines within UCC (now further strengthened through the establishment of the Food Institute), but it also encompasses food security and food policy analysis, agricultural economics, public health and nutrition, plant sciences, geography, history and cultural studies.

UCC has a number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes which also enhance knowledge and expertise in relation to tackling hunger and malnutrition: in 2019 a new MSc programme on Food Security Policy and Management will be launched to add to existing offerings.

Dr Nick Chisholm, Director of UCC's Centre for Global Development, says "This is an exciting step in the development of UCC's growing portfolio of actions focussed on addressing major global societal challenges. Worldwide, hunger and malnutrition are increasing and Universities such as UCC can play a major role, through harnessing the interest and knowledge of staff and students in developing innovative ways to solve such major issues. It's great to see UCC's deserved reputation as a University with great strengths in the "Food" area being expanded to address the global food security dimension."

This commitment is in line with UCC's approach in its Strategic Plan to "an international outlook and informed and creative engagement on local and global issues", and its strong focus on Sustainability across the University. UCC is signing the PUSH commitment on UN World Food Day, which is dedicated to events signalling that a Zero Hunger world by 2030 is possible.