Every year on October 16, we celebrate World Food Day – a day designated by the FAO to draw attention to how governments and people can help fight poverty, malnutrition and food insecurity in the world. This day also marks the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and is celebrated through various events held in over 150 countries across the globe.

Significance

Food is a basic and fundamental human right. Yet more than 820 million individuals suffer from acute undernourishment in a globe of trillions. An average of 60% females and nearly five million kids under the age of 5 die every day from causes associated with malnutrition. Contrary to this major issue, it should also be noted that 672 million individuals suffer from obesity and 1.3 billion more are overweight.

Challenges

Food safety and hunger are environmental problems prevalent throughout the globe. The end of hunger demands the international development of sustainable food production technologies and resilient agricultural practices which should be extensively adopted by farmers and food manufacturers. It is essential to acknowledge how climate change is affecting worldwide agriculture and the individuals who rely on local food production for their livelihoods and nutritional needs. For example, global crop yield losses due to climatic change are expected to reach 5% by 2030 and 30% by 2080, leading to a rise in worldwide agricultural prices. This will in turn affect the people living in poverty as they are largely dependent on agricultural produce. Climate-induced price raise may increase poverty in certain regions, further leading to higher rates of food insecurity and, thus, hunger.

Theme of World Food Day 2019

The long-term goal of World Food Day is ‘Zero Hunger by 2030’. This not only means to feed the hungry individuals, but also to nourish the planet and its people. The theme of World Food Day 2019 is ‘Healthy Diet for a Zero Hunger world’. The WFD calls on everyone to reflect on what they consume and choose a healthy diet above all, but it is also a great occasion to prepare delicate World Food Day gifts for your friends and family. Proper nutrition early in life could increase the lifetime earnings by 46%. We should follow a healthy diet daily that must include a combination of organic fruits, vegetables and nuts. It is recommended to include soybeans, peas, beans, bananas, citric fruits, kiwis, almonds and dates. Flaunting a plethora of healthy nutrients, organic foods like dates are capable of providing instant energy to our bodies along with high fibre content.

Current Scenario

Collective activities across over a hundred nations make the World Food Day one of the UN calendar’s most famous days. Hundreds of events and government activities bring governments, companies, NGOs, the media and the general public together. As more and more people become aware of how climate change is affecting food prices and increasing poverty levels, World Food Day 2019 is expected to gather thousands of protesters and activists across the globe. According to the United Nations, a continuous and concentrated effort will be needed for ending starvation, food insecurity and malnourishment for all, including more investment in agriculture to enhance productivity in agriculture. A long-term approach to build peaceful, inclusive societies is the need of today’s world.

Anna Jones
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