Where would we be without food? We certainly wouldn’t be at Starbucks, grocery stores or restaurants. We wouldn’t, in fact, be anywhere for very long, because we need food to live. Food is seen as a basic human right, and yet one in nine people globally experience chronic hunger. As far back as 1945 the United Nations recognized food as not a privilege, but a right, and that’s why they created World Food Day, observed annually on October 16, in 1979. It’s a day of observance to draw attention to the plight of the hungry. So, today, join us in eradicating hunger.
“Food, glorious food! We’re anxious to try it. Three banquets a day — Our favorite diet!”
We are sure that you are all familiar with the famous lyrics from Oliver!, and we’re sure you can all relate to them too! After all, who doesn’t love some good ol’ grub? From pizza to pasta, cookies to cakes, and all of the good stuff in between, there are so many amazing dishes and ingredients for us to indulge in today, and World Food Day celebrates them all.
Learn about World Food Day
World Food Day is not only about celebrating the amazing food that we have the privilege of indulging in, but it is about raising awareness for people who do not have such privilege. There are people all over the world who are suffering from hunger. Starvation is a massive problem in a number of countries, and we need to do more to raise awareness and combat this problem. It seems crazy that we live in a world whereby a large portion of the population can indulge in any sort of food they wish without a second thought while others struggle to put food on the table.
We can also use World Food Day to raise awareness about healthy diets and what our bodies need. In recent times, education has grown about healthy diets and what foods are good and bad for our bodies, but we are not there yet! World Food Day gives us a great opportunity to further education and awareness in this area.
History of World Food Day
World Food Day was first launched in 1945. The reason World Food Day was created was to celebrate the launch of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.
The main principle which World Food Day celebrates is the furtherance of food security all over the world, especially in times of crisis. The launch of the Food and Agriculture Organisation by the UN has played a huge role in taking this worthy goal forward. Its annual celebration serves as a marker of the importance of this organisation and helps to raise awareness of the crucial need for successful agriculture policies to be implemented by governments across the world to ensure there is ample food available for everyone.
In recent years, World Food Day has used its annual day of celebration to focus on different aspects of food security and agriculture, including fishing communities, climate change and biodiversity.
There are a number of different themes that have been attributed to World Food Day over the years. We definitely recommend checking out the theme each year so that you can base your activities on this date on the theme in question. For example, some of the themes there have been in the past include; “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too”, “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty”, and “Feeding the world, caring for the earth”, which was based on family farming.
Despite the fact that World Food Day was founded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a lot of different organizations around the world celebrate this day. This includes the International Fund for Agricultural Development, as well as the World Food Programme. You will notice that a lot of businesses get on board too, which is great. The more, the merrier!
How to celebrate World Food Day
There are a number of different events that take place on World Food Day, so it is worth looking into these to see if there is anything going on in your local area. This includes everything from concerts and contests to cultural performances, exhibitions, hunger marches, and marathons. With so many large profile events taking place, you are bound to find something that appeals to you! And if there isn’t anything going on in your local area, why not be the person to host the event?
One of the best ways to celebrate World Food Day is by giving food to people who need it the most. If you do a quick search online, you should be able to find the nearest food bank to you. Most food banks are going to accept food or money. The sort of food that is in a typical food parcel includes biscuits, tinned fruit, tea, coffee, tinned vegetables, tinned meat, beans, pasta sauce, rice, pasta, soup, and cereal. You could also volunteer your time, food banks are often looking for willing volunteers. No matter how much time you have to spare, we are sure that it will be appreciated.
Of course, there are countries all around the world that need help because they are battling starvation. Kenya is a prime example. In countries like Kenya, the price of basic foods has skyrocketed, which has resulted in a large number of children going hungry. There are a lot of different charities out there that are working hard to change the lives of families and children who need it the most, ensuring they have the food they need to survive.
You can donate to one of these charities on World Food Day. You could also opt to do some fundraising as well. There are many different ways you can go about this, from fundraising events to sponsored activities. If you are able to raise awareness and some money in the process, it’s a great thing!
It is worth spending some time researching the different ways that countries all around the world honor World Food Day. More than 150 countries participate in this day, and there are conferences and different events that happen all around the world.
For example, in the United States, the Iowa Hunger Summit has been held on World Food Day, or near to the date, since 2007. In Cuba, the media strongly supports awareness on various campaigns relating to World Food Day, and an agricultural fair is held so that producers can exchange their experiences and views.
In Mongolia, they have made it tradition to organize the Food Security conference on this date. This event is about promoting research to develop regulations and policies, as well as valuing the contributions of researchers and scholars to the country’s food security. In Cyprus, special ceremonies are organized in secondary and primary schools where teachers teach their students about World Food Day. In Italy, many exhibitions and conferences are held by NGOs, international agencies, research agencies, universities, and ministries.
A lot of countries also use this day to support the people in their society who need it the most. For example, in the Philippines, a lot of the work is focused on increasing food gifts to poor urban families. The same has occurred in Pakistan whereby they provide food packages to the née-dies and poor on this date.
How to Observe World Food Day
Give to a local food bank
In the United States it's estimated 1 in 7 people rely on food banks as their primary or supplemental food source—many of these are working families who suffer from underemployment and cannot afford the groceries needed to help their family live healthfully. The top requested items for food banks are healthy, non-perishable items high in protein, such as canned or dry beans, peanut butter, rolled oats, low-sodium soups and vegetables and tuna canned in water.
Support small scale farms
Ninety-eight percent of the farms in the world are family farms. They usually practice sustainable agriculture with plants that are indigenous to the area, rotating crops and limited use of pesticides. Sadly, many family farmers are unable to produce the variety of crops needed for their own survival and without support, can suffer from malnutrition themselves. On World Food Day, shop locally and support family farms.
Raise money to end hunger
On World Food Day there are typically a number of food drives. If you don’t know of a local food drive, organize one yourself and donate the food to a local food drive. Globally there are hunger walks, World Food Day dinners or food packaging rallies. Get involved and let’s end world hunger!
Why World Food Day is Important
It helps raise awareness
Millions of people suffer the health consequences of malnourishment, which damages growing bodies and brains. That's why it's important to draw attention to this health crisis—and by doing so, ensure food security and availability of nutritious foods to everyone on the planet.
It’s a reminder hunger can be ended
Our planet currently produces enough food to feed every person on the planet. However, 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted annually (that's roughly 20% of the food produced). World Food Day acts as an impetus to get involved, reduce food waste, and help provide sustenance for millions.
It brings attention to eating mindfully
Food is a great source of pleasure and entertainment, but sometimes we can overindulge. if we return to the focus of eating mindfully we can reduce the amount food that's wasted and the number of people going to bed hungry. World Food Day serves as a reminder to refrain from overeating and to make choices that are ecologically sustainable.
Also on Wed Oct 16, 2024...
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