What and When is World Food Day?
World Food Day is celebrated annually on the day the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN was formed. The FAO was formed on October 16,1945. World Food Day is marked annually on October 16. The events of the day usually focus on reducing, or rather eliminating, hunger from the face of the earth. Farmers and government officials are often given tips on how to effectively eliminate hunger.
Founding Of World Food Day
The World Food Day was created by FAO member countries in November 1979. It was during their 20th General Conference that the observance of the World Food Day was decided. It was not observed until 1982 when the specific date was determined.
Pal Romany, at the time Hungary's Minister of Agriculture and Food, played an important role in the founding of the World Food Day during the 20th General Conference. Many people at the conference welcomed the idea. World Food Day is celebrated in over 150 countries of the world on an annual basis.
Observing World Food Day
The World Food Day is not celebrated by FAO and the United Nations only. Several other organizations concerned with food security, famine and hunger reduction, and consumption of balanced diet and health also take part in the celebration. Some of the involved organizations are World Food Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
On the day, which is usually observed in more than 150 countries in the world, a number of activities are usually organized. The activities usually include marathons, concerts, agricultural inventions, and cultural exhibitions and performances.
Themes for World Food Day
Each year has its own theme that facilitates effective commemoration of the World Food Day. The themes are always related to food production, availability, and consumption. The themes are always set so that the public and other food stakeholders can come up with suggestions and ideas that are effective in the tackling hunger, poverty, and famine. In fact, most themes are agriculture related. This is because agriculture is the chief source of food. For instance, the 2016 theme was climate change. The day was observed by sensitizing people on how climate has been changing, and how it has been affecting food production.
How Important Is World Food Day?
There are a lot of people in the world who face severe hunger and famine. Many of them starve to death. World Food Day hopes to bring awareness and attract initiatives to help people from around the globe solve issues concerning hunger and famine.
Many people in developing countries depend on agriculture as the source of their livelihood. But due to lack of funds, ineffective agricultural skills, and climate change, production is often lower than demand. At times, the farmers end up producing nothing at all. Therefore, World Food Day is meant to help farmers attain modern skills that would help achieve food security. The day is also set aside to encourage the governments of ways of sustaining food security in a country.
