The 16th of October each year worldwide is celebrated as the World Food Day. It marks the day on which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was founded in 1945. The day is celebrated widely by many other organisations concerned with food security, including the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
The World Food Day theme for 2014 is Family Farming: “Feeding the world, caring for the earth”.
World Food Day is a day of action against hunger. On October 16, people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime.
Food is a basic human right. Every human being has a fundamental right to be free from hunger and the right to adequate food. This right is realized when every man, woman and child has the physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement. The world produces enough food to feed every person on the planet. No one in the world should have to experience hunger. In addition to the cost of human suffering, the world as a whole loses when people do not have enough to eat. Hungry people have learning difficulties, are less productive at work, are sick more often and live shorter lives. Nutritious food can be expensive, making a balanced diet a luxury for many. Loss of a job, a family tragedy, poor health, or an accident can make anyone, anywhere, go hungry in a moment. Globally, extreme climate events, war, or even financial crisis can dramatically affect a person’s ability to feed themselves and their families. Without social safety nets, resiliency measures and good policy in place, these small and large events can set off a cycle of hunger and poverty.
For more information about World Food Day please visit http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/home/en/ . The Food and Agriculture Organization also has online presence on Twitter (@FAOWFD) and the World Food Day USA and Canada Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/WorldFoodDayUsaAndCanada.
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