World Food Day Ceremony
FAO Special Ambassadors, heads of the Rome-Based UN agencies, and other keynote speakers will join FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu to mark FAO’s 75th anniversary during the global World Food Day ceremony on Friday, 16 October. The digital event will also include messages and calls to action from His Holiness Pope Francis, the President of the Republic of Italy, and the UN Secretary-General to ensure that everyone, everywhere, recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and has access to the safe, healthy and nutritious food they need. Pre-register to watch the ceremony from 14.00 CET by webinar here. You can also watch the event by webcast here.
Lecture
A digital lecture will be hosted by Professor Joachim von Braun from Germany on the “Role of Policy, Innovation, Bio-economy and SDGs in Agri-Food System Transformation” after the World Food Day ceremony. Professor Joachim von Braun is the Chair of the Scientific Group for the UN Secretary General’s Food Systems Summit, Professor for economic and technological change and Director of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at University of Bonn. Pre-register to watch the lecture by webinar here. You can also catch the webcast here.
Video mapping show
FAO’s first-ever video mapping show will mark FAO’s 75th anniversary at the world-renowned Colosseum in Rome on World Food Day and on the façade of the FAO headquarters’ building. Food heroes will be the stars of the show, those who have continued to produce, plant, harvest, fish or transport our food, despite these challenging times. FAO will call on the public to show their gratitude to food heroes and become food heroes themselves through simple actions that can contribute to the transformation of food systems. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu will be joined by special guests from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Municipality of Rome to inaugurate the video mapping show both at FAO headquarters and the Colosseum on 16 October before visiting a traveling SDGs installation that will arrive in Rome just in time for World Food Day.
Tune in here at 19.30 CET on 16 October to watch the live webcast of the video mapping show.
If you miss the show on 16 October, you can catch it on at FAO headquarters up to 18 October.
”Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together” – Find out more about the World Food Day 2020 here: Theme | Brochure. The programme of World Food Day 2020 will be available soon, please check this website for updated information.
Events around the world
Every year, a large number of events – from marathons and hunger marches, to exhibitions, cultural performances, contests and concerts – are organised in up to 150 countries across the world to celebrate World Food Day. Despite these unprecedented times, many events are taking place either digitally, or in line with physical distancing recommendations. Our media and advertising friends are also helping to spread the word! Remember to post your activity on the World Food Day map and download our free material for your events and activities!
Read about and register to the Swedish celebrations of World Food Day.