World Food Day and food security

The World Food Day is observed on 16 October every year. This year the theme of the day is: Our Actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and better life. 

The theme covers a wide area concerning production of food, nutrition and healthy life. The actions we take today regarding production of food for all, our future will seem more safe and secure from the scourge of hunger. At the same time, we shall have to pay attention to growing food that is nutritious for both children and the adults. Not just any food, but healthy food is the underlying message here.       

 In recent years, UN has given more emphasis on food security, agriculture, fishing, climate change and biodiversity. So, policy makers should discuss more the imperatives of food security while formulating guidelines. Food security is the priority in a world being threatened by climate adversities. Ravages of nature push the marginalized people towards further pauperization, hunger, malnutrition and death. Therefore, governments will have to act now.  

World leaders are burdened with the almost impossible task of providing food for the 7 billion humans twice a day. Billions are spent on food. But when we look around and take into consideration the prevailing injustice, inequality and discrimination, we can see that all humans are not getting enough food two times a day.     

World Food Day is not only about consumption of food, but also about raising awareness for realizing the importance of growing quality food, preservation and equitable distribution.  Different research documents show that there are people all over the world who suffer from the pangs of hunger every now and then as they cannot manage food for nourishment. This is happening in a world where a handful of people indulge in all kinds of food while hungry people stand in a queue in gruel kitchens.   

Observation of this day provides the opportunity for the policy makers and experts to talk about healthy diets and our nutrition needs. We can talk about consumption of healthy food identifying what foods are good and bad for us. Bad food may lead to malnutrition and malnutrition is a serious problem especially among the children of Bangladesh. The rates of malnutrition in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world. Research findings show that over more than 54 per cent of preschool-age children are stunted, 56 per cent are underweight and more than 17 per cent are wasted. Bangladeshi children also suffer from high rates of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin A, iron, iodine and zinc deficiency.

Malnutrition among women is also widely prevalent in Bangladesh. More than 50 per cent of women suffer from chronic energy deficiency. There has been little improvement in women's nutritional status over the past 20 years. It is said by experts that improving nutrition can have a significant impact on survival as well as physical and cognitive development and productivity. No doubt, consumption of adequate amount of nutritious food and reduction of illness are basic human rights and essential prerequisites for economic development.

World Food Day was first launched in 1945. The UN documents say that the “reason World Food Day was created was to celebrate the launch of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. The main principle which World Food Day celebrates is the furtherance of food security all over the world, especially in times of crisis. The launch of the Food and Agriculture Organisation by the UN has played a huge role in taking this worthy goal forward. Its annual celebration serves as a marker of the importance of this organisation and helps to raise awareness of the crucial need for successful agriculture policies to be implemented by governments across the world to ensure there is ample food available for everyone.”

 The themes of World Food Day are selected carefully by experts to send the correct message to the government policy makers, non-government organisations, academics and the people in general.  For example, one theme was, “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too”, another one was “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty”, and “Feeding the world, caring for the earth.”