World Food Day 2019

The theme around World Food Day 2019 is ‘’their actions are their future’’, healthy diets for a #ZeroHunger world. It focuses on tackling global hunger. Due to globalization, urbanization and income growth, their diets and eating habits are changed. Instead of seasonal, fibre rich food and plant based food they are shifting to refined, starches, sugar, salt, fats, processed food, meat etc. It has been seen that in urban areas time spent on preparing food or meals are very less, the reason being people these days rely on ready-made food, fast food, supermarkets, street food, etc.

Due to unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyle obesity in persons are increasing in developed, low-income countries. FAO reports that, 670 million adults and 120 million girls and boys between the age group of 5 to 18 years are obese and 40 million children under 5 are overweight. Around 820 million people suffer from hunger.

The history of World Food Day.

The member countries of Food Agriculture Organisation established World Food Day in November 1979, at the organisation’s 20^th General Conference and called for the observance of World Food Day on 16 October 1981. This decision was rectified by the UN General Assembly on 5 December 1980 and urged governments and international, national and local organisations to contribute to celebrating World Food Day. Since 1981, World Food Day has been held every year.

The plight of farmworkers in the spotlight.

The future of farmworkers looks bleak as they face the problems of mechanization, less available farmland for food production and eviction from farm houses which they have occupied for generations. World Food Day, celebrated today, is not only putting a spotlight on food security in the country, however also the food insecurity of farms and their contribution to the economics of the whole food value chain. A national conference will begin today to highlight the future of farmworkers in Southern Africa in order to raise awareness of the integral role that they have in the economy and its food system.

By: Ellouise Muller