Today is World Food Day. October 16, 2019, is a day of action dedicated to tackling global hunger and people from around the world, come together to declare their commitment to eradicate worldwide hunger from our lifetime.
Celebrating the creation of World Food Day is organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN (United Nation) calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. The focus of the day is that food is a basic and fundamental human right. Yet, in a world of billions, over 820million people worldwide suffering chronic undernourishment, 60% women and almost five million children! 5 MILLION children under the age of five die of malnutrition-related causes every day. That’s a sad truth.
Contrary to popular belief, the causes of chronic hunger are not limited to war and natural disasters. In fact, hunger is often a silent, invisible symptom of poverty, and is exacerbated by a host of socioeconomic causes. That’s why this year’s theme for World Hunger Day highlights the Hidden Causes of Hunger, including child marriage, climate change, lack of women’s empowerment, lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities, and lack of education and literacy.
What you can do:
- Invest now in the sustainable end of hunger.
It’s also important to note that while millions go hungry, 672 million people suffer from obesity, and a further 1.3 billion are overweight. We can change this. This year’s World Food Day 2019 is focused on the theme of “Our Actions Are Our Future Healthy Diets for a #ZeroHunger World”. Last year the theme of World Food Day 2018 is “Our Actions Are Our Future, Ending World Hunger by 2030 is Possible”.
The struggle against hunger urgently demands generous financing, the abolition of trade barriers and, above all, greater resilience in the face of climate change, economic crises and warfare. Since its very early years of existence, the UN has made tackling hunger and malnutrition one of its key priorities. This year’s theme is not only about achieving Zero Hunger or addressing hunger but it also means that nourishing people while nurturing the planet. This year World Food Day focuses on different sectors to make a healthy and sustainable diet that is accessible and affordable to each and everyone, it’s the time now where everyone should start thinking about what should we eat.
What can we contribute?
In recent times, the result of urbanization, globalization and income growth has changed our diets and eating habits dramatically. Nowadays we have changed our diet as we moved from fiber-rich dishes to highly refined sugar, fats, starch, and processed foods. We spent less time to cook food at home especially in urban areas and in this case, we only rely on restaurants, street food, supermarkets or fast food outlets.
This kind of lifestyles and unhealthy diets reached to an obesity rate not only in our developed countries but also in low-income countries where both hunger and obesity coexist. Now 120 million girls and boys (aged from 5to 19 years) and 670 million adults are under obesity. Over 40 million children under the age group of 5 are overweight while 820 million people suffer from hunger.
The aim behind celebrating World Food Day is to have food security across the world especially in the crises. The initiative taken by the Food and Agriculture Organization by the United Nations has played an important role to accomplish the goal. The celebration of World Food Day helps in spreading awareness about the crucial needs of effective agriculture and food policies which are implemented by governments across the world and to make sure that there is sufficient food available for everyone.
You can make a difference to end hunger today! You could readily Share The Meal using my hashtag #inspiredbycherisha and end global hunger that’s rising. With a tap on your smartphone, you can “share the meal” with a child in need. It costs only US $ 0.50 to feed one child for a day.