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#WorldFoodDay
16 October 2019
Celebrated annually on 16 October, #WorldFoodDay promotes awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and highlights the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. Events will be organised in up to 150 countries, bringing together businesses, NGOs, journalists, media agencies, cities and civic society organizations.
2019’s campaign, Our actions are our future, Healthy diets for a #ZeroHunger world, calls for cross-sector activity to make healthy and sustainable diets affordable and available to everyone. At the same time, it reminds us all to start thinking about what we eat.
This year’s focus reflects the reality that healthy diets are fast becoming one of the leading priorities in achieving Zero Hunger by 2030. Today, while over 800 million people suffer from hunger, over 670 million adults and 120 million girls and boys (5-19 years) are obese, and over 40 million children under five are overweight.
A combination of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles has sent obesity rates soaring, not only in developed countries, but also in low-income countries, where hunger and obesity often coexist.
With the big day on the horizon, now is the perfect opportunity to start thinking about ways to get involved and engage with WFD 2019. A good place to start is the WFD website, where you can learn more about this year’s theme and the activities planned so far.
One of the first things you can do is make a commitment to healthy diets and share it on social media, using the hashtags #WorldFoodDay and #ZeroHunger. Use the free materials on the WFD digital channels to inform, educate and engage audiences.
You could also bring WFD to your hometown or city, by encouraging municipalities, outdoor advertisers, transportation companies, shops or airports to display WFD advertisements. Why not help organize events to engage the public – marches, marathons, festivals, exhibitions, cooking demonstrations, public lectures and roundtable discussions – the options are endless. Put your thinking caps on and get creative!
To help you promote and publicise, various communication materials have been created and can be found on the WFD workspace. The range of resources on offer includes a poster, a brochure, an event banner, web/social media graphics and an activity book for kids. Colleagues in all offices are invited to share these among partners in an effort to increase the global impact of WFD.
The photo contest is also on! This year’s contest (running until 8 November), calls on children and teens aged 5-19, to use their imaginations to create posters that illustrate their idea of what needs to be done to make healthy diets accessible for everyone and how each of us can improve our diets.
The WFD poster contest is an important tool for engaging the young generation and inspiring them to become advocates for a Zero Hunger world. You can do your bit and promote it among schools, educational organizations and youth groups.
For lots more ideas on ways you can get involved and contribute to this global movement, check out the get started guide, available in English, French and Spanish.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s all make a commitment to healthy diets today and start getting ready for WFD 2019!
Contact world-food-day@fao.org for further information.
See the highlights of WFD 2019 events here.
Join the conversation #ZeroHunger and #WorldFoodDay
