World Food Day is not only a reminder of the importance of what we eat to everyone on the planet, but also “a call to action to achieve food security around the world”, the UN chief said in his message marking the day on Friday.
Commemorated annually on 16 October, Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that currently, almost 40 per cent of humanity, some three billion people, can’t afford to eat healthily.
And as hunger, undernourishment, and obesity are on the rise, the economic impacts of COVID-19 “have made a bad situation even worse”, he said, noting that the pandemic has left an additional 140 million people “unable to access the food they need”.
For people and planet
At the same time, the way we produce, consume and waste food is taking a heavy toll on our planet.
“It is putting historic pressure on our natural resources, climate and natural environment - and costing us trillions of dollars a year”, warned the UN chief.
Reference this year’s theme that the power to change is in our hands, he spelled out that “our actions are our future”.
To continue reading, visit the United Nations website.
Comments