The U.N. on Monday in Bangkok “launched the Zero Hunger Challenge in Asia and the Pacific, calling on governments, farmers, scientists, business, civil society and consumers to work together to end hunger in the region where the majority of the world’s undernourished people live,” Bernama reports (4/30). “First proposed at the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Brazil last June, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Zero Hunger Challenge aims for a future where every individual has adequate nutrition,” the U.N. News Centre notes, adding, “Its five objectives are to make sure that everyone in the world has access to enough nutritious food all year long; to end childhood stunting; to build sustainable food systems; to double the productivity and income of smallholder farmers, especially women; and to prevent food from being lost or wasted” (4/29). According to a speech transcript, U.N. Deputy-Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said at the launch, “With this drive to defeat global hunger, we are embracing a vision for the future — a future where all people are nourished and able to live healthy and full lives. Now, it is time for us to rise to the challenge and finally make the world free from hunger” (4/29).