How will you make a change this World Food Day?
Get those barbeques burning and pots stirring Australia because October 16 is World Food Day! Who is going to indulge in a big bowl of Malaysian Laksa, or a juicy Mexican Burrito or a delicious Indian Dahl? While food is something fun to enjoy and appreciate, the purpose of World Food Day is to heighten public awareness surrounding the problem of hunger in the world, to bring attention to those who on World Food Day will go to bed hungry. World Food Day is held in countries all across the globe with the united aim to strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and to draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development. Each year on World Food Day there is a specific focus to help increase understanding of challenges and solution in the drive to end hunger. This year, the focus will be, “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition”.
The reality is that while many of us are enjoying our Laksa, Burrito or Dahl, 1.02 billion people will be suffering from malnourishment and a sixth of the world will go to bed hungry. 70% of the worlds hungry live and work on rural and small scale farms that produce a significant portion of the food on our plates. A solution to this problem however is not beyond reach. The world DOES have the capacity to eliminate hunger and to generate sustainable development.
So if we have the capacity for everyone to be well fed, why is this not happening ?!? There are a range of contributing factors including poverty, war, nature, agricultural infrastructure, climate change effects and overexploitation of the environment. Oxfam summarize by saying, “Food and oil prices. Flat-lining yields. Climate change. Unfair trade. Failing markets. Inequality between men and women. Land grabs. All of these issues are connected. And all of them are contributing to a global food system that is dominated by a few powerful governments and companies. A system that is failing the rest of us. We need a new way of thinking, and ideas that hold a promise of a better future for the many, not just the few.”
So what can be done? Global Concern is passionately committed to the elimination of world hunger and is partnering with people all across the world to strengthen food security and create a better future for all humanity. A holistic approach is adopted at Global Concern with projects that focus not only on the deliverance of food, but health, nutrition, income generation and education as well. If we are to eradicate world hunger together, all of these spheres need to be addressed. Want to learn more about the projects? Here is a link to our projects https://globalconcern.org.au/globalconcern_project_areas/
There are also many ways that people can individually make a difference and help in the pursuit to end world hunger. You can get along side NGO’s such as Global Concern and other initiatives that are actively partnering with those most marginalized and effected by hunger. There are also simple but effective strategies which can make a big different. For example: reducing household food waste, choosing to eat foods that are in season, support local farmers, eat ethically or cooking with green power. Oxfam has come up with a great campaign called ‘Grow’ bringing local communities together so that individually we can make a difference together. https://www.oxfam.org.au/grow/
More information can be found at :http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/
How will you make a change this World Food Day?
by Global Concern volunteer: Jade Maloney