New Delhi: A UN body on Friday said only USD 160 (about Rs 10,000) is all that is needed annually per person living in extreme poverty to eradicate world hunger by 2030.
"Eradicating world hunger sustainably by 2030 will require an estimated additional USD 267 billion per year on average for investments in rural and urban areas and social protection so that poor people have access to food and can improve their livelihoods," Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said.
"This would mean average USD 160 annually for each person living in extreme poverty over the 15-year period," FAO said while releasing a joint report prepared by itself, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
FAO pointed out that nearly 800 million people -- most of them in rural areas -- today still do not have enough food to eat despite the progress made in recent decades.
It made a case for investment in the rural sector to eradicate hunger while pitching for cash transfers for immediate reduction of poverty.
The report comes ahead of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia slated for July 13-16.
FAO Director-General Jos? Graziano da Silva said: "The message of the report is clear: if we adopt a
"business as usual" approach, by 2030, we would still have more than 650 million people suffering from hunger."
He added: "This is why we are championing an approach that combines social protection with additional targeted investments in rural development, agriculture and urban areas that will chiefly benefit the poor."
Silva said that an estimated investment of USD 267 billion per year will be required over the next 15 years to eradicate poverty.
"Given that this is more or less equivalent to 0.3 per cent of the global GDP, I personally think it is a relatively small price to pay to end hunger," he added.
Suggesting ways to raise USD 267 billion investment to end world hunger, the report said, "Most of the investment would normally come from private sector, especially farmers."
However, private investments need to be complemented by additional public sector investments in rural infrastructure, transport, health and education, it added.
In rural areas, pro-poor public investments could target small-scale irrigation and other infrastructure benefiting small holders while in urban areas, additional investments should ensure people living in extreme poverty will eventually be able to provide for themselves.
The investments could, for example, target capacity building to impart entrepreneurial and other skills, including craftsmanship, and ensure fair labour contracts, provide credit facilities, housing as well as nutrition-related services, the report added.
"This report helps us see the magnitude of the challenge ahead of us, but we believe that we won't see gains in reducing poverty and hunger unless we seriously invest in rural people," said IFAD President Kanayo F Nwanze.
WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said: "We need a dramatic shift in thinking to help the world's poorest break the cycle of hunger and poverty by 2030. We cannot allow them to be left behind."
Eliminating chronic undernourishment by 2030 is a key element of the proposed Sustainable
Development Goal 2 of the new post-2015 agenda to be adopted by the international community later this year and is also at the heart of the Zero Hunger Challenge promoted by the UN Secretary-General.
