The 16th of October is World Food Day, a celebration of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the continuing work for improved food security and nutrition worldwide.
The theme for this years World Food Day is climate change and the need for agriculture to adapt to such change. Since a large number of the world’s poorest live in the countryside and are dependent upon agriculture, both future livelihoods and food security is impacted by changing weather patterns. As well as being very susceptible to climate change, the agricultural sector is one of the major emitters of greenhouses gases.
In other words. business as usual is not an option, especially since a growing world population needs to both be able to survive on farming and produce enough food to feed everyone. This can not be done while undermining the natural foundations that enable our societies to function. Instead, a more sustainable farming system will not only lessen the ecological footprint of the agricultural sector but enable more families to be fed and have a future in the countryside. This includes making farming an occuption that is attractive for the young people of today and tomorrow.
World food day is a call for investing in a more sustainable agricultural practices and the smallholder farmers of the world. At a global scale, this includes everything from reduced food waste to integrating ecosystem services on the farm, to more efficient infrastructure and market insitutions. But there are also things that you as an individual can do!
During each day, we make a lot of choices, for example what we choose to eat and consume. What is needed here is a turn from consumption which contributes to environmental degradation and unjust living conditions to supporting all the good work that is being done around the world across the different sectors of society. We also need to improve our minds, which includes keeping ourselves informed and spreading good examples to help inspire others!
To learn more about World Food Day and find out more tips what you can do to turn things around, check out the FAO website.