Editorial
World Food Day is a day to raise awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and malnutrition and to celebrate the efforts of those who work to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. It is observed every year on October 16, the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945.
The significance of World Food Day lies in its potential to mobilize people from different sectors and backgrounds to work together for a common goal: to end hunger and achieve food security for everyone. World Food Day also provides an opportunity to showcase the achievements and challenges of various initiatives and programs that aim to improve food systems, protect the environment, support small-scale farmers, empower women and youth, and promote social protection and human rights.
World Food Day is more important than ever in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the existing problems of hunger, poverty, inequality, and climate change. According to the FAO, the number of people facing acute food insecurity could increase by 83 million to 132 million in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Moreover, the pandemic has disrupted food supply chains, reduced incomes and livelihoods, increased food prices, and threatened the health and safety of millions of people.
Therefore, World Food Day 2020 calls for collective action to “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future.” It urges everyone to take responsibility for their food choices and actions and to support the transformation of food systems that are more resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and healthy. It also celebrates the #FoodHeroes who have continued to produce, process, distribute, and deliver food to the people who need it most during the crisis.
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Lastly, World Food Day is a significant day that reminds us of the importance of food as a basic human right, a source of nutrition and health, a driver of development and innovation, and a means of social cohesion and cultural diversity. It also challenges us to take action individually and collectively to ensure that no one is left behind in the quest for a world free of hunger and malnutrition. Therefore, it is also important for Pakistan to implement the spirit of the day and ensure food security. Federal, provincial and local governments, farmers and distributors should know the day’s importance and work to attain the objectives of it.
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