The three fundamental requirements to sustain life are food, clothing, and shelter. Food is considered the most basic need of the human body as it feeds and strengthens the body by giving resistance from diseases and infections. Food constitutes the body’s source of energy and increases growth.
So high is the importance of the food in our lives, still there is tremendous disparity in the production, availability, and distribution of food leading to malnutrition, weakness, and diseases. There are regions in the world where people have no food to eat for several days, while in other areas people have grown obese due to excessive consumption.
Let’s Explore World Food Day
It is said that several parts of the world are complaining from chronic food scarcity. Among these regions include Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti. According to definition, when an area, country or region fails to have enough food – or enough nutritious food – for its population then this phenomenon is termed as food shortage. Generally, a food scarcity arises due to production problems in which deficient food production or importation fails to cater to energy and nutrients needed in population. All the above regions face extreme weather conditions, political crisis and improper government support which becomes challenging to grow crops for grains, vegetables, and fruits. Several countries and NGOs often take initiatives to provide food to needy people.
United Nations Organisation (UNO) has implemented several programs to have improved the condition of the people of these hostile areas. In addition to distributing foodstuff, the inhabitants are being made aware of the basic agriculture skills that involves giving them seed, fertilizers, implements and technical skills. In congruence with the same, World Food Day is marked and spread awareness of the importance of food, the need, and in the supporting countries with acute food shortage. World Food Day is celebrated annually worldwide to raise awareness and work together against hunger and malnutrition on this planet. Then, it reminds everyone about food security and access to nutrition worldwide.
The importance of sustainable agriculture and food production will be highlighted for the overcoming of world food challenges.
In the efforts of tackling the food challenges globally, the importance of scientific food production and sustainable agriculture using organic methods are essential to be communicated and implemented in the training programs. World Food Day will be the opportunity to unite with a global community for a world where no one needs to go hungry to bed. World Food Day was established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization abbreviated as FAO in 1979. It marks the date the FAO was founded in 1945, and it was therefore created to raise the awareness of world hunger and even to motivate action to help eradicate it.
It is true that since the day of its birth, World Food Day has been marked in over 150 countries and becomes one of the most commemorated days in the calendar of the United Nations. It reminds the world how vital food security is, and how much the world has committed to overcoming hunger worldwide. 16th October is observed as World Food Day every year to spread the importance and need for food and initiate measures to tackle the food problem. The World Food Day is annually held on 16th October every year. This day in the year 2024 falls on a Wednesday; hence, the persons, communities, organizations, and governments of the world get an opportunity to join hands to mitigate hunger and under nutrition.
You can use this World Food Day to align your effort to contribute to the elimination of hunger and ensure food security through the following constructive approaches:
- Familiarize yourself with food-related issues: Learn about the globally prevailing food challenges, food insecurity, and sustainable agriculture practices.
- Donate to a food bank: Donate food products that have long shelf lives to local food banks, or volunteer your time to help disperse food towards desperate people.
- Advocate for Policy Change: Advocate policies and initiatives that target to make sure no one goes hungry, wastage of food is reduced, and sustainable practices are instilled in farming at local, national, and international levels.
- Reduction of Food Waste: Be aware of the quantity of food waste within the family and community; take action to cut it down.
- Food Drives: Organize a food drive or fund drive to collect food and provisions for people in urgent need.
- Eat Locally, Sustainably Sourced: Dine on locally sourced food products and locally sourced foods produced in sustainable means to help promote small-scale farmers and sustainable agriculture.
Making a noticeable difference
We all love food and like to eat it in variety. Similarly, we can feed the hungry and deprived people by offering good food. We can develop a special programs like community kitchen through which we can organize the resources in cooking food, packing it well and arranging for its distribution.
World Food Day can be celebrated with the purpose. Covering the poor, homeless, vagrant, beggers and other needy people who cannot afford a proper meal, the initiative regarding community kitchen will aim to provide good food to these people. On parallel grounds, social organizations like Robinhood army associates with numerous restaurants, hotels and eateries globally. Their teams gather excess food from the restaurants makes provisions for the distribution to the hungry people. An average salaried professional can sponsor the food for two adults or four children through food, provisions or money. Of course, if we could think positively and come out collectively, then we can easily bridge the gap of hunger through the touch of humanity and kindness, and give a real meaning to World Food Day.
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