Goal 2: Zero hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Working in partnership both locally and globally, we are tackling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our research, education, and through our operations. Discover how our unique commitments align with and support Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

Research and impact

The University advances SDG 2 through research and partnerships that address food insecurity, malnutrition, and sustainable agriculture both locally and internationally. In the Liverpool City Region, researchers are working with Liverpool City Council, Can Cook, and Feeding Liverpool to improve access to healthy food. Led by the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences and the Virtual Engineering Centre, this initiative applies systems-thinking to design scalable interventions that reduce food insecurity (2.1, 2.2, 2.4). The Workers Using Foodbanks study, published in 2025, highlights how low-quality employment contributes to household food insecurity, reinforcing the links between work, welfare, and nutrition (2.1, 2.2). Internationally, Liverpool researchers strengthened agricultural productivity in Mozambique’s Baixo Limpopo Irrigation Scheme through the “Liverpool Model” of collaborative leadership and technology transfer, shaping national agricultural policy (2.3, 2.C). In East Africa, the University’s One Health research, conducted in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute, is enhancing livestock systems, rural livelihoods, and food security in Kenya and Rwanda (2.1, 2.3, 2.4).

Education and student experience

The University equips students to address food insecurity, sustainability, and nutrition through innovative teaching and real-world learning. The Carbon, Nutrients and Climate Change Mitigation module explores how nutrient cycles and agriculture contribute to climate solutions (2.3, 2.4), while Sustainable Supply Chain Management develops knowledge of ethical sourcing, food resilience, and circular economy principles (2.4). Students also contribute to the Transforming the UK Food System initiative, co-producing solutions such as the BeanMeals project, which develops sustainable plant-based school meals (2.1, 2.2). Other modules, including Law and Global Health (2.2) and Living with Environmental Change (2.4), address food poverty and the systemic links between nutrition, sustainability, and global health. Beyond the classroom, student-led and campus-based food projects extend impact into the community. The Guild Gardening Project (2.1) grows fresh produce for students and residents, while the Queen of Greens initiative (2.1, 2.2) improves access to affordable fruit and vegetables across campus.

Sustainable campus and operations

The University supports SDG 2 by addressing food insecurity and promoting sustainable nutrition across its operations. Students experiencing food poverty receive targeted assistance through the Student Hardship Fund, short-term loans, and debt advice, ensuring access to sufficient and nutritious food (2.1). Our Sustainable Food Policy prioritises locally sourced, seasonal, and affordable food across all campus catering outlets, with a minimum of 50% vegan options to reduce environmental impact and support healthier diets (2.2, 2.4). Food waste management is also a key focus: since September 2023, more than 125 tonnes of food waste have been diverted from incineration to anaerobic digestion, with the resulting digestate reused as fertiliser to support circular economy and sustainable agriculture goals (2.4). In June 2025, the University achieved Fairtrade University Accreditation, and we are a member of TUCO, and have embedded the NETpositive Futures tool, with 58% of major suppliers engaged in social value action planning (2.4). Our Sustainable Events Guide encourages event organisers to provide nutritious, sustainable catering that reduces food waste and environmental impact. It favours plant-based, locally sourced, and ethically certified options, while promoting responsible portioning and the redistribution or composting of surplus food to strengthen food security and sustainability (2.2, 2.4).

Case Studies

Addressing dietary inequality in social housing

The University of Liverpool is leading a £1.46 million UKRI-funded study tackling dietary inequalities and improving life chances for residents of social housing in Liverpool, one of the UK’s most deprived areas with high obesity rates. The Supporting Communities in social Housing and Optimising Urban food System interventions for Equity (SCHOUSE) project, developed with the University of Cambridge and local partners, advances SDG targets (2.1), (2.2), and (2.4) by improving access to nutritious food, reducing malnutrition, and supporting sustainable food systems.

The multidisciplinary team spanning psychology, public health, nutrition, epidemiology, and health economics, works with housing associations, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Liverpool City Council, and local charities including Onward Homes, Riverside Group, Torus Foundation, Alchemic Kitchen, and Alexandra Rose Charity. Together they co-design and evaluate interventions such as a mobile greengrocer van delivering fresh produce and a voucher scheme to improve affordability, with over 300 residents actively engaged in shaping solutions.

Using advanced spatial mapping and computer modelling, SCHOUSE identifies food access inequalities and forecasts that city-wide expansion of these interventions could avert around 150 diet-related diseases and reduce premature deaths by 10% over ten years. By combining robust evidence, strong partnerships, and community co-production, SCHOUSE exemplifies scalable innovation with real-world policy influence, supported by open-access reporting and public engagement.

Protecting workers facing food insecurity

The University of Liverpool Law School hosted an event to advocate for action based on a new research report aimed at better protecting workers in Liverpool who face food insecurity. Conducted in collaboration with Feeding Liverpool, the report captured firsthand accounts from local workers relying on food banks and pantries. These stories, gathered by final-year Law students as part of their studies, revealed that food insecurity among employed people often stems from low incomes, insufficient employment protections, welfare issues, and barriers to accessing the legal system. The students, trained in wage and welfare rights, conducted placements in food support venues to provide free legal advice and guidance. The report, Without Access to Justice: The Work and Welfare Problems Driving Food Insecurity, showcased how these challenges exacerbate food insecurity and was presented with animated short films during the launch event, as well as at follow-up sessions in the House of Commons and online. The researchers recommended several measures for the government, Department of Work and Pensions, local authorities, employers, and trade unions, including simplifying welfare access, increasing the minimum wage, and encouraging the creation of jobs that support workers' mental and physical health.

Eating for public and planetary health: navigating complexity and tackling inequalities

Professor Charlotte Hardman delivered her inaugural lecture in June 2024, entitled Eating for public and planetary health: Navigating complexity and tackling inequalities. Professor Hardman's lecture discussed her research exploring the psychological determinants of eating behaviours and how she has applied this knowledge to the development of approaches to facilitate healthy and sustainable diets for all. Poor diet is a major contributor to obesity and non-communicable diseases. Consuming a diet rich in plant-based foods with fewer animal sources substantially reduces disease risk for multiple health outcomes whilst also having co-benefits for the health of the planet. However, the modern food system is highly complex and there are also marked socio-economic inequalities, whereby individuals experiencing socio-economic disadvantage are more likely to experience food insecurity and difficulties with accessing affordable healthier foods. Holistic approaches are therefore needed to transform the food system for health, sustainability and equity. Professor Hardman also spoke about her career as a researcher, including her work as a Professor of Psychology of Eating Behaviour at the University of Liverpool. She leads a programme of research on appetite and obesity, and the psychological determinants of healthy and sustainable food choices.