Feed The Future Now: movement to serve 5 billion mid-day meals by 2020

India was rated as a country with “serious” hunger levels in the 2016 Global Hunger Index (GHI), with fifth highest GHI score in Asia— better than only Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Pakistan, and North Korea.

The initiative to serve 5 billion mid-day meals by 2020 is just what India needs as it has the world’s highest malnourished, stunted kids. Recent data shows that almost two in five Indian children under five years of age are stunted, or too short for their age.

India was rated as a country with “serious” hunger levels in the 2016 Global Hunger Index (GHI), with fifth highest GHI score in Asia— better than only Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Pakistan, and North Korea.

On the occasion of World Hunger Day that is on Sunday, May 28, The Akshaya Patra Foundation along with nine leading corporates and Government of India flagged off a movement to raise awareness about importance of nourishment amongst children and its impetus to education.

Christened as ‘Feed The Future Now’, this movement aims to serve 5 billion meals to children across India by 2020 with a view to create a ‘Poshit Bharat, Shikshit Bharat.’

Maneka Gandhi, minister for women and child development, flagged off the movement.

“Malnutrition is one of those issues that require urgent attention. The focus should not be on feeding just food, but providing a nutritious meal,” said Gandhi.

“I believe children should be provided packets that contain 600-1000 calories and nutrients and urge The Akshaya Patra Foundation to take up this initiative. I congratulate all the corporates for partnering with this cause and I am sure you will achieve great results through this movement.”

There is a growing need to ensure children are well nourished at the age of 0 – 12 years.

“Food is not charity. Food is life. Setting a child on a proper course with good daily nutrition and the ability to attend and succeed in school is our collective social responsibility and one which reaps unlimited rewards as new generations grow and thrive,” said Shridhar Venkat, CEO- The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

The movement envisions a public-private partnership and engages the civil society at large, so that reducing malnutrition becomes a common mission for everyone.

The corporates that have partnered with The Akshaya Patra Foundation are GSK Consumer Healthcare, Reliance Fresh, Nestlé India, PepsiCo India, Viacom18, Reliance Broadcast Networks Ltd, PVR Ltd, Facebook and The LaLiT.