It Would Take Very Little To End World Hunger, According To José Andrés

José Andrés already stands among the 21st century's most impactful humanitarians, but he knows much work is still ahead of him. On April 4, 2023, in an interview with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, he insisted that ending world hunger is an achievable goal, and it would only require a small sacrifice from the world's wealthiest nations. Andrés, whose not-for-profit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) provides meals to communities facing natural disasters and wars across the globe, believes that world hunger could be eliminated immediately if a mere fraction of the $3.5 trillion spent annually on defense were diverted to humanitarian aid.

The United States alone has allocated $1.98 trillion to the Department of Defense in 2023, but Andrés told Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield that $30-40 billion would be sufficient to end the hunger crisis that impacts 10% of the global population. While $40 billion is objectively a great deal of money, it would account for roughly 1.14% of that $3.5 trillion the world spends on defense each year. It would be a minuscule sacrifice, but based on the track record of the U.S. and other developed nations, what should be a realistic goal feels like wishful thinking.

José Andrés' latest call for action against global hunger is nothing new. The Michelin-starred chef has repeatedly criticized the United Nations for failing to address food insecurity around the world, despite its members having ample resources to do so. With WCK, Andrés has acted as a first responder in numerous humanitarian crises, most recently the devastating earthquake in Turkey. Over the past year, he has received widespread acclaim for providing aid to those affected by the war in Ukraine, with WCK offering free meals to refugees less than 24 hours after Russia invaded its neighbor. These actions have brought more attention to Andrés than ever before, and he has used his time in the spotlight to call out world leaders.

Andrés's interview with Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield marks a continuation of his tense relationship with the UN. While he praised the Ambassador for her own efforts to end global hunger, he has frequently called attention to the UN's broader failures in that department. While working in Ukraine, Andrés noted that a tent set up by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide aid was left empty, leaving WCK to provide aid on its own. He has also criticized NATO, the EU, and the G7 for failing to provide aid to refugees. Nevertheless, he has continued to express optimism that world hunger is a solvable issue and shows no sign of slowing down.