Meyers, William H.

International Food Policy Research Institute, Proceedings of an International Conference, IFPRI, Washington, DC, (2002)

At the World Food Summit (WFS) in Rome in 1996, heads of state representing 186 countries affirmed their "common and national commitment to achieving food security for all" and agreed to work toward achieving the intermediate goal of "reducing the number of undernourished people to half their present number no later than 2015." That would mean reducing the number of undernourished people from 800 million to 400 million by 2015. But recognizing the multifaceted nature of this commitment, the WFS plan of action also contains seven commitments, which, in a broad action area, are relevant for reducing the number of undernourished and eventually achieving food security for all. The seven related commitments that accompany the goal of halving the number of undernourished are often forgotten. This paper will recall the seven commitments but mainly focus on the extent to which the hunger target has been achieved, what factors might explain the successes and failures, and what lessons may be drawn from these experiences.