World Food Day

16 October

World Food Day provides an occasion to highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people in the world. Most of them live in rural areas where their main source of income is agriculture. Global warming and the biofuel boom are now threatening to push the number of hungry even higher.

The Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations proclaimed World Food Day in 1979 to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. The day marks the date of the founding of the FAO in 1945.

In 1980, the General Assembly endorsed observance of the day in consideration of the fact that "food is a requisite for human survival and well-being and a fundamental human necessity" (resolution 35/70 of 5 December).

Related links :
World Food Day 2009 - Department of Agriculture
World Food Day 2009 - Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library
World Food Situation
Food Safety
Food Security Programmes

[ Top ]

Last modified: 12 October 2009 15:48:12.