Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future

”Global hunger isn’t about the absence of food. It’s about the presence of entrenched injustice.”- Ray Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. The international community is precariously perched regarding food security and hunger. More than eight per cent of the world population or around 673 million people are not getting enough to eat and going hungry. The United Nations adds that 30% of all food produced globally is lost or wasted annually. These statistics are alarming and should serve as a call to action. This year’s World Food Day should therefore take on an added significance to address global hunger and food security. World Food Day is observed annually on October 16th. The day is set aside to raise global awareness about hunger, malnutrition, and the pressing need for sustainable food systems. World Food Day serves as a reminder that access to safe and nutritious food is a fundamental human right, not a privilege. The day unites nations, communities, and individuals in reaffirming a shared commitment to end hunger, strengthen food security, and build a future where healthy food is available for all. World Food Day also promotes awareness of hunger and action for the future of food, people, and the planet. The Day aims to raise awareness on the importance of ensuring a world where everyone has access to diverse, nutritious, affordable, and safe foods. World Food Day’s 2025 theme is “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future.” This year’s theme highlights the importance of collaboration to build sustainable and inclusive food systems. This year’s theme highlights the power of collaboration among governments, farmers, researchers, consumers, and private organizations to build stronger, fairer, and more sustainable food systems. As the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) celebrates its 80th anniversary, an estimated 1 in 12 people globally still face hunger. Furthermore with climate change, geopolitical conflicts and continued food price inflation, we could see food insecurity become more precarious rather than decline. The expanding world population needs more food than ever before. However, conflicts and inflation continue to increase the cost of food. Climate change has started to affect food security as temperatures increase, extreme weather events become more frequent and rainfall patterns are changing. In addition, more than a quarter or nearly 2.3 billion experienced moderate or severe food insecurity last year, and only 34% of babies between 6 and 23 months meet the minimum dietary standards in terms of vitamins and minerals. CARICOM. The Caribbean relies heavily on food imports for domestic consumption and to supply the tourism industry. Over the period 2018-2020, the CARICOM food import bill was US$13.76 billion or approximately 5% of GDP.” Heads of Government of CARICOM have committed to reducing the Region’s large food import bill by 25% by 2025. The implementation of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Strategy in the Member States, is expected to help achieve this target, by giving special attention to priority crops and products which are highly imported products in the region. The geographical location of the Caribbean makes it rather vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. At least four Caribbean countries Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, and Suriname have experienced food price increases higher than 5 percent every month between March 2021-2022. 5.7 million Haitians are facing a deteriorating food security situation. Reasons for Global Hunger. Among the reasons for global hunger are conflict and political instability: Armed conflicts, such as those in Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza, disrupt food production, supply chains, and access to markets. This leads to the displacement of people, creating acute food insecurity for millions. Secondly, increasing climate variability, including droughts, floods, and heat waves, all play havoc with the ability of farmers to grow food. This undermines agricultural productivity and food availability, especially in vulnerable regions. Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Ethiopia all face acute food insecurity driven by a combination of conflict, droughts, floods, and desertification. Somalia, for example, is experiencing its worst drought in four decades, compounding years of conflict and displacement. Thirdly, deep-rooted poverty and social inequality limit access to food and resources, especially in rural and marginalized communities, perpetuating chronic hunger. Low incomes, poor infrastructure and local services often mean that those marginalized (and especially women and indigenous groups) are not getting enough to eat. Nearly 700 million people live in extreme poverty globally, with two-thirds residing in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the UN. The UN through various agencies seeks to strengthen social protection systems and move away from crisis-focused humanitarian aid, to a model in which low-income countries drive the development of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems. At Risk for Food Insecurity. Research has found that some groups of people are more likely to have food insecurity than others. That is because certain factors that cause disparities in society such as race, gender, sexual orientation, lack of job opportunities, and income levels can make you less able to get quality, nourishing foods. Those who are most at risk for food insecurity are: Young, non-Hispanic Black males, middle-aged Black women, Hispanic people, children whose parents are unemployed or have low incomes, People or households with disabilities. Undoubtedly, agriculture is at the heart of achieving food security for all. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals update finds that global public expenditures on agriculture reached a record high of more than $700 billion in 2023. Obviously, there are clear and present dangers to those societies that are faced with food insecurity. On this World Food Day, let us urge governments worldwide to collaborate more with stakeholders to produce more food in a safe and efficient manner. Special attention must be given to school children given that many of them depend on the food/meals provided at schools. In fact, a national school lunch programme should be standard for all school-aged children globally. Government should also consider investing in senior food assistance programmes to assist people 60 or older to have balanced meals. Many senior citizens are pensioners and struggle at times given their fixed income and the reality of inflation to afford food. Finally, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) should be mindful of the impact of climate change and global warming and the effect on food production and food security. It is clear that tackling global hunger will require a collaborative effort not only with governments but with non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), the church and civil society. In the words of Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General, the actions we take today will directly impact the future. We must produce more with less. Let’s work towards a future that is more inclusive and more equitable. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WorldFoodDay