The MDG Hunger Target and the Contested Visions of Food Security

This paper explores the normative and empirical consequences of the MDG hunger target (1C), to halve the proportion of people who are undernourished, measured by the proportion of children under 5 who are underweight for their age, and the proportion of people who are ‘undernourished’. The paper argue that the influence has been more normative (reframing thinking and influencing strategies) rather than empirical (increasing investments and efforts). The MDG hunger target has had little effect in drawing attention to this priority and raising its profile. While food security currently commands attention as a top global political priority, it has long been a neglected goal.