The nascent initiative was pre-launched by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the Ministerial Meeting of the G20 Task Force in July 2024. The idea for this initiative was proposed at the previous G20 summit by Lula, who stated that eradicating hunger and poverty is one of the three central tasks of Brazil’s G20 presidency.
Due to factors ranging from natural disasters to regional conflicts, the poverty issue has become increasingly noticeable in recent years. Between 713 and 757 million people may have faced hunger in 2023, meaning one in every 11 people in the world, according to the annual report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World released by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization in July.
The report highlights a clear trend of rising undernourishment in Africa, while progress is being made in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also showed that the prevalence of undernourishment in Brazil fell to 3.9 percent in 2023, marking the first year of Lula’s new administration.
At the ministerial meeting, Lula stated that nothing in the 21st century is as absurd and unacceptable as the persistence of hunger and poverty, adding that addressing this issue through the global alliance is a priority for Brazil’s G20 presidency.
Amid the ongoing hunger crisis worldwide, especially in developing countries, the upcoming G20 summit – where eradicating hunger and poverty is one of the top priorities – is expected to be of great practical significance.
Xu Feibiao, director of the Center for BRICS and G20 Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, stated that the G20 summit could provide global solutions, noting that both Brazil and China have made significant achievements in the fight against hunger and poverty.
In 2023, Lula launched the Brazil Without Hunger program. With 20 different actions and projects, the program, which has a total investment of more than $70 billion, reduced the number of people in Brazil suffering from severe food insecurity from 33 million to 8.7 million in just one year, said Valeria Burity, special secretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger of Brazil, in an interview with a Chinese news portal in November.
The Paranagua Container Terminal (TCP) in Paranagua, Brazil, on August 27, 2018. China Merchants Port acquired a 30-year concession for 90 percent of TCP. /CFP
China has not only achieved its goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2020, improving the living standards of hundreds of millions of people over decades of development, but it has also contributed to helping other countries, particularly developing ones, fight poverty. This has been done through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, which provide advanced agricultural technology and cooperation projects aimed at eradicating poverty and improving local well-being.
For example, under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has supported numerous infrastructure projects, including the Hungarian-Serbian Railway, the China-Laos Railway and the Chancay Port project in Peru. These projects not only enhance local transportation but also create jobs and boost residents’ incomes.
“China’s poverty eradication model and experience can provide strong support for relevant G20 programs,” Xu said.
Echoing Xu, Fernando Brancoli, an international relations expert from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told China Media Group that from the perspective of poverty alleviation, the G20 Rio Summit offers an ideal platform for Brazil and China to cooperate. The two countries continue to lead global efforts to reduce poverty by showcasing their respective poverty alleviation experiences, tailored to their national conditions and proven effective.
In addition to offering global solutions based on experiences from China and Brazil, Xu noted that sustainable development has been a key agenda for the G20, with eliminating hunger and poverty being an integral part of this agenda.
Xu pointed out that G20 members, which represent the world’s largest developed and developing economies, account for more than 80 percent of global GDP. “Once the G20 members reach consensus and put forward solutions, the G20 can be a key propeller for global consensus and action against hunger and poverty,” he said.
Hailing the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty as a critical first step in global action, Xu stated that the upcoming G20 summit is expected to launch initiatives, plans and roadmaps for combating hunger and poverty, integrating them with the broader agenda on health, education, infrastructure, financial inclusion, and other key issues to create more feasible and comprehensive solutions.
Brancoli emphasized that the global alliance will bring together global funds, resources and poverty reduction experience to jointly support the global poverty reduction cause.
Acknowledging that there will be some differences between countries in addressing this issue, Xu remarked that while it is impossible to solve it overnight, the G20 has prioritized it as a top issue, signaling that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
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