The World food day is an international yearly celebration usually on October 16^th with each country across the globe having celebrations in their individual countries.

This year the National Semi Arid Agricultural Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI) located in Eastern Uganda in Serere hosted the celebrations.

It attracted the involvement of every stakeholder dealing in issues related to agriculture and food production in a bid to tackle the issue of food insecurity in the country

The theme of 2024 is “The right to foods for a better life and a better future”

Background

In a communication hand and toolkit for the celebrations published by Food and Agriculture Organisation, it is stated that the world’s farmers produce enough food to feed more than the global population yet, hunger persists.

World Food Day takes place annually, on the 16^th of October and promotes awareness of hunger and action for the future of food, people and the planet.

Initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in 1979, it is one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar.

Food is the third most basic human need after air and water and everyone should have the right to food.

World Food Day talks about foods to underline the need for a greater variety of nutritious, affordable, accessible, safe and sustainable foods in order to achieve food security and healthy diets for all.

Human rights such as the right to food, life and liberty, work and education are recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and two legally binding international covenants

Up to 783 million people face hunger due to conflict, repeated weather shocks and economic downturns.

This impacts the poor and vulnerable most severely, many of whom are agricultural households, reflecting widening inequalities across and within countries.

Human rights such as the right to food, life and liberty, work and education are recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and two legally binding international covenants.

The celebrations in Uganda

In Uganda the celebrations are usually led by FAO in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Institute (Naro) and this year NaSARRI is the host.

Seeds of Gold caught up with Dr Peter Obuo a crop agronomist at NaSARRI and he explained that since the institutes mandate is to conduct research in crops that thrive well in Semi-Arid conditions, it is prudent to sensitize farmers in the region to embrace technologies that can give them good yield.

This includes adoption of best agronomic practices which include among others, adopting seed which are drought tolerant and resistant to pests and diseases, use of animal traction technology which is not labour intensive among others.

The scientists demonstrated crop varieties namely groundnuts, simsim, green gram, pigeon pea, cow pea, sorghum, millet, sunflower and cotton among others for farmer uptake in the region.

Farmers were taken through in field demonstrations as well as seed demonstration of the crops where farmers got the opportunity to obtain 1 kg of each crop to be planted in their farms and observe its yield.

Other technologies exhibited include how oxen is used for tilling land, showing seed and weeding  as well as value addition in caking baking using sorghum and green gram flour and pop sorghum.

Why does World Food Day talk about ‘foods’?

In the FAO communication toolkit it is explained that Foods stands for diversity, nutrition, affordability, accessibility and safety.

A greater diversity of nutritious foods should be available in farmer fields, fishing nets, markets and on our tables, for the benefit of all. Yet today, too many people suffer from hunger and are unable to afford healthy diets.

Unhealthy diets are the leading cause of all forms of malnutrition, undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity, which now exist in most countries, cutting across socio economic classes.

More vulnerable people are often forced to rely on staple foods or less expensive foods that can be unhealthy, while others suffer from the unavailability of fresh or varied foods, lack the information they need to choose a healthy diet, or simply opt for convenience.

Hunger and malnutrition are further exacerbated by protracted or prolonged crises that are driven by a combination of conflict, extreme weather events and economic shocks.

Agrifood systems, as a whole, are vulnerable to disasters and crises, particularly the impacts of climate change but at the same time, they are generating pollution, degrading soil, water and air, and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.

By transforming agrifood systems, there is great potential to mitigate climate change and support peaceful, resilient, and inclusive livelihoods for all.

FAO provides countries with technical assistance on policy and legislation, strengthens governance and monitoring mechanisms, develop capacities and promotes multi stakeholder policy dialogue to transform agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all.

The organisation also provide humanitarian and resilience building assistance to the most vulnerable, crisis-hit people and their communities, providing time critical agricultural support to almost 57 million people in 2023.

A food secure and nutritious world for all requires massive investment, innovation, science, technology and wide collaboration between a range of actors including governments, the private sector, academic and research institutions and civil society.

Only when everyone enjoys the human right to adequate food will we be able to achieve other human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a blueprint for a more equal and just future for all people everywhere. And we all have a role to play.

As consumers, we can exercise rights and call on governments to tackle inequality and poverty, make healthy food choices to increase their availability, reduce food waste and protect the environment.

Statistical data

It state in the toolkit that up to 783 million people are facing hunger in the world due to repeated weather shocks, conflicts, economic downturns, inequality, and the pandemic.

Some 148 million children under the age of five are too short for their age and 45 million are too thin for their height.

Healthy diets are diverse, balanced in energy intake, adequate in all nutrients and moderate in the intake of unhealthy foods.

Some 2.5 billion adults and 37 million children under the age of five are overweight. Some 890 million adults are living with obesity.

Conflict and violence are primary causes of hunger. Nearly half of all people suffering acute hunger in 2023 were caught in conflict and nearly 135 million people in 20 countries.

Climate change disproportionately affects the rural poor and their agricultural yields and productivity.

Yearly, 600 million people fall ill and 420 000 die from eating contaminated food.

Worldwide, nearly 28% of women and just over 25% of men are moderately or severely food insecure.

The world’s smallholder farmers produce around a third of the world’s food. Globally, 13% of food is lost during harvest and transport and 19% is wasted at the retail and consumer stage.

FAO requests

FAO contends that Governments need to integrate the right to food across agrifood systems policies and programmes to ensure equal access to an adequate and diverse range of nutritious, safe, and affordable foods for all.

They must respect, protect and fulfil the right to adequate food by building an enabling environment for people to nourish themselves in dignity and to establish appropriate safety nets for those who are unable to do so.

Good governance should ensure equitable access to resources such as land, water, forests, fisheries, and livestock

Inclusive participation in decision making, including local communities, and women, girls and youth as well as increased public-private partnerships with accountability mechanisms and the capacity development necessary to transform agrifood systems and achieve sustainable development.

The private sector

The private sector must be responsible and accountable, adhering to international standards where possible.

Businesses should positively influence the food environment by prioritizing a diverse range of nutritious foods, investing in sustainable agriculture, ensuring decent working conditions, sharing innovative food technologies especially with low-income countries and creating truly inclusive and transparent business models and markets.

The food sector should decrease the supply of unhealthy foods, reduce loss and waste and adhere to nutrition and food safety-related laws and standards regarding the production and sale of foods.

Consumer organizations

Consumer organisations need to channel consumer needs and rights into negotiations with the food industry and governments and engage with national initiatives for food security, nutrition and food safety.

They need to call the private sector to account for any failure to comply with food laws and regulations and advise the public about their food rights, empowering them to understand their role in securing a better future for all through healthy and just food choices and spreading the word about rights and the inadequacies of current food systems.

Farmers

Farmers must act as agents of change within our communities, play a critical role in collective action to ensure healthy diets for all.

Beyond nurturing the land, farmers sow the seeds for a future where equitable access to nutritious food is a reality for everyone.

 It’s essential to respect their right to food, honour their right to land and preserve their knowledge, culture and traditions.

With the right access to training, finance and innovation they can be supported to cultivate to produce enough safe, diverse and nutritious foods for all.