As 2030 approaches, achieving Zero Hunger (UN Sustainable Development Goal 2) feels increasingly out of reach. Progress has stalled, hindered by persistent inequality, conflict, severe climate impacts, high food prices, economic downturns, and debt crises. Owing to these challenges, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) identifies serious or alarming hunger levels in 42 countries. Published annually by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and Concern Worldwide—with the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) joining as a partner in 2024—the GHI reflects the urgent need for intensified efforts to combat hunger worldwide. Yet amidst these hardships, there are also stories of hope—like that of Fanta Diarra, a farmer who is driving change in rural Mali. But first, let’s look at the current situation in Mali.
Discussing Mali’s Hunger Situation
“You can’t fight hunger if you don’t have access to land,” remarked Mme Goundo Kamissogo, President of the National Federation of Rural Women (FENAFER MALI), during the GHI Launch in Mali on October 29, 2024. “Women need access to arable land, equipment and seeds suited to our climate, the knowledge of good agricultural practices, and support in developing income-generating activities to help them through the lean season.”
The GHI report serves as a basis for critical dialogues in many countries each year, bringing together stakeholders to explore findings and develop recommendations tailored to specific contexts. In Mali, the 2024 GHI was launched by the Minister Commissioner for Food Security and the German Ambassador, with 60 attendees from civil society, government, both national and international NGOs, UN agencies and donor organizations. This gathering emphasized the urgent need to bolster food and nutrition security efforts in Mali, a country particularly vulnerable to these complex, overlapping crises.
For Mali, this year’s GHI report highlights a “serious” hunger situation—within a scale ranging from “low” to “moderate,” “serious,” “alarming,” and “extremely alarming”—with minimal progress over recent years due to ongoing challenges. Climate crises, entrenched conflict, and socioeconomic inequality continue to press heavily on vulnerable communities, threatening lives and livelihoods.
Mr. Redouwane Ag Med Ali, Minister Commissioner for Food Security, praised WHH’s commitment to eradicating hunger and poverty worldwide—a mission that aligns with Mali’s National Policy on Food and Nutritional Security (PolNSAN). Germany’s Ambassador to Mali, Dr. Dr. Dietrich Pohl, emphasized the importance of robust data in effectively addressing hunger, noting, “a strong data foundation is essential to combating hunger,” and urged the Malian government to prioritize the inclusion of women and marginalized groups in food and climate policies.
Mali’s food security is closely tied to seasonal cycles and water availability, yet rainfall patterns are increasingly erratic. The Niger River and its tributaries are receding, while deforestation, soil erosion, dwindling groundwater levels, and severe weather events exacerbate the challenges faced by farmers. The persistent conflict, ongoing since 2012, has displaced thousands, leading to food shortages and economic insecurity.
Empowering Women, Securing the Future
In Mali’s central Mopti region—positioned between the arid north and the fertile south—this strain is especially felt as displaced families arrive in already resource-limited villages. To address these challenges, WHH has initiated a project focused on empowering 25 communities across five districts to develop locally adapted, sustainable agricultural practices, boosting food security, income, and gender equality.
Why the latter? Traditional gender roles often restrict rural women’s access to resources such as land, water, and seeds. Men typically control larger, more fertile plots, while women manage smaller, less productive land. Men also decide on income and expenditure. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change. They must travel farther for water, deal with crop failures from rain-dependent farming, and manage nutrient-poor soils—all of which contribute to food and nutrition insecurity.
This year’s GHI underscores the essential role of gender equality in sustainably eradicating hunger. When women gain equitable access to resources and decision-making, the resilience of entire communities is strengthened.
Fanta Diarra is a Changemaker
Fanta Diarra, a 35-year-old farmer from Dialango in Mopti, embodies this resilience. As part of a WHH project, she received improved cowpea seeds and training in climate-smart agriculture and composting in 2023. Her message to her community, especially to women, is simple yet powerful: “Agriculture does not belong only to men. Women must farm just as much as men.”
Today, Fanta grows enough to feed her family and sell surplus crops in her village, providing a valuable source of income. As one of 30 trained farmers in Mopti, she now shares her knowledge with others, meeting with women’s groups to discuss climate-smart agricultural practices.
Fanta’s work has inspired a shift in her community. “The men now listen to us and support us,” she explains. Her husband, for example, now assists with firewood collection and child care—tasks traditionally assigned to women. Through the WHH project, health and nutrition counseling groups are engaging men, promoting awareness on topics like positive masculinity. Fanta has also fostered solidarity with refugee families who fled conflict with little more than their lives. “We trust each other now,” Fanta says. “And we help each other.”
Despite the GHI report highlighting a dire hunger situation, women like Fanta are the backbone of change in Mali, empowering entire communities through shared knowledge, resilience, and sustainable practices. This approach is creating a brighter future—one where communities can thrive, even in the face of hardship.
Among the participants of the GHI launch in Mali were representatives from organizations like the National Federation of Rural Women of Mali (FENAFER) and the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of Ségou. Also present were state authorities, diplomatic delegations from Belgium, Canada, Germany, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, UK, and UN agencies such as the World Food Programme, UN Women, and OCHA, as well as donors including ECHO, BHA, KfW, and GIZ.
