Government integrates 120 mayors into national Zero Hunger goal

Santo Domingo.- José Ignacio Paliza, Minister of the Presidency,  led the formal incorporation of 120 mayors into the national policy to eradicate hunger, strengthening coordination between the central government and local authorities to advance the Zero Hunger goal in the Dominican Republic.

The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Dominican Municipal League (LMD), marked a key step in territorializing food and nutrition security policy by positioning municipalities as central actors in identifying priority communities, monitoring interventions, and evaluating local results.

Paliza noted that undernourishment fell from 8.7% to 3.6% over the past five years, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, bringing the country close to the 2.5% threshold required for international Zero Hunger certification. He credited the progress to expanded economic dining halls—now more than 130 nationwide—the strengthening of the Supérate program, which supports over 1.5 million families, wage increases exceeding 30% in recent years, and strong domestic food production that supplies more than 85% of national consumption.

Municipal leaders reaffirmed their role in prioritizing food security locally. Nelson Núñez pledged to integrate food sovereignty into municipal plans, promote community gardens, and collaborate on vulnerability assessments, while Víctor D’Aza committed institutional support for planning and monitoring.

Under the agreement, the Ministry of the Presidency—through CONASSAN—will provide technical assistance to municipalities, and a joint commission with the LMD, FEDOMU, and SETESSAN will oversee implementation to ensure measurable results, reinforcing the country’s bid to become a regional leader in eradicating hunger.