World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October and is being celebrated in more than 150 countries and in more than 50 languages. This year’s theme is: Right to food for a better life and future.
Food is the third basic need of human life after air and water and emphasis is placed on ensuring everyone’s right to adequate, healthy, varied food.
Farmers worldwide produce enough food to feed the world’s population, but despite this, millions of people do not have enough to eat.
The top UN official noted in his message that 733 million people are facing food insecurity due to war and violent conflict, marginalization, climate change, poverty and economic decline.
“This includes many people who are at risk of man-made famine in Gaza and Sudan.”
Or the 2.8 billion people who “don’t have access to healthy food.” “There are people who are overweight because obesity is increasing worldwide.”
Secretary-General Guterres said that despite these challenges, a world without food shortages is possible.
In this context, he called for broad, transformative changes to make food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
Given the high cost of our planet’s food production, consumption patterns and food waste, the contribution of business, academia, research institutions and civil society will be critical to the transformation process.
“The Food Systems Summit in 2021 takes us on a path to address food system inefficiencies and inequities.”
He said that governments of all countries should work together with various partners to encourage the production and sale of healthy and nutritious food products at affordable prices.
Calling for the fight against hunger, i.e. food shortages and malnutrition, on this International Day, the Secretary-General said, “Let us take action to uphold the right to food for the sake of a better life and a better future.”