Why Does Hunger Persist in the Global North? A Comparative Analysis of Food Insecurity in France and the United States in the Context of SDG 2

This thesis investigates the barriers to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger by 2030, using the United States as a case study to examine the interplay between domestic policy and international legal commitments. Despite its global influence and abundant resources, the U.S. faces persistent challenges in aligning its national food systems and social protections with international obligations under instruments such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and related UN frameworks. The study analyzes how legal norms, soft law, and international cooperation mechanisms intersect with national policy choices, revealing gaps in implementation, accountability, and normative commitment. Through a critical legal lens, the research questions the extent to which the U.S. can—or intends to—realize its role in advancing the right to food within the SDG framework, highlighting the complexities of operationalizing global development goals in a high-income, yet internally unequal, state.