World Food Day 2023: History and significance

The World Food Day is celebrated  on October 16 every year. 

The emphasis of World Food Day celebrations every year is on the furtherance of food security all over the world. 

Across the world there are thousands of people who suffer from hunger and we need to do more to raise awareness to combat the problem of starvation.

The WFD can also be leveraged to raise awareness about healthy diets.

Several organizations around the globe celebrate the World Food Day, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.

History

The World Food Day was established in 1945 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. 

After 34 years it was recognized as a world holiday at the 20th FAO conference in November 1979. Following this, 150 countries proceeded to celebrate the day after it gained its official recognition by the United Nations.

Since 2014, the World Food Day has been used to promote the idea of feeding the world and eliminating poverty in rural nations.

In recent years, the World Food Day has used its annual day of celebration to focus on different aspects of food security and agriculture, including fishing communities, climate change and biodiversity.

Significance

For the year 2023, the theme of the World Food Day is – “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind”.

“Water is essential to life on Earth. It covers the majority of the Earth's surface, makes up over 50% of our bodies, produces our food, and supports livelihoods. But this precious resource is not infinite, and we need to stop taking it for granted. What we eat, and how that food is produced all affect water. Together, we can take water action for food and be the change,” says the Food and Agriculture Organisations of the United States on its official website.