PlantwisePlus Blog

It is hoped the UK hunger summit will step up efforts to tackle hunger © FMSC (CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr)

Today, David Beckham, in his role as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is meeting British Prime Minister David Cameron to deliver a letter calling for action on nutrition and hunger issues in developing countries. The letter, signed by UNICEF supporters including over 50 well-known sports and entertainment stars, requests that Mr Cameron makes a bold move at a food security summit to be held in London on the final day of the Olympics.

A particular call is being made to reduce the number of children affected by ‘stunting’ – development defects and lack of growth due to malnutrition. This follows the publication of the Child Development Index 2012 by the charity Save The Children, which stated that the number of children going hungry has risen for the first time in ten years.

The UNICEF letter requests that at the summit held in August, Mr Cameron takes the following action:

• Pick up the pace by setting an ambitious global target to reduce stunting

• Lead the call for other governments to increase their focus on tackling stunting

• Ask business to play their part by making nutritious food more widely available to the most vulnerable.

Save The Children, has also called upon the Prime Minister to use his presidency of the G8 to keep hunger at the top of the agenda during 2013.

Sign the UNICEF letter here: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/News/Letter-from-David-Beckham/

Read more:

MSN (2012) PM to act on Third World hunger

Save The Children (2012) Number of hungry children rises for first time in ten years

UNICEF (2012) David Beckham to meet Prime Minister to call for urgent end to silent crisis affecting children on eve of Olympics