In this little book (a longer e-book version and website are to be available), two formerly FAO-based authors argue passionately that hunger can be ended by 2025, and the global food system rendered both adequate and sustainable by 2050. These goals can be achieved if countries (i) commit themselves now to such a goal, e.g. via a ‘Global Mechanism to Cut Food Waste and Over-Consumption’, (ii) start targeted and unified social protection programmes (e.g. to mothers and children) and (iii) help small and subsistence farmers via appropriate extension systems, e.g. farmer field schools. NGOs and CSOs can ensure ‘feeding humanity in 2050’ and beyond by raising public consciousness of the increased severity of the hunger problem, and pursuing sustainable intensification (e.g. for rice), more effective global food governance and new technical and financial cooperation.

The political, legal and economic barriers to achieve these goals receive little attention – perhaps it would be somewhat discouraging to do so – but the authors may be right in calling on moral arguments to underpin the search for the above institutional and technical responses.