World Food Day is a United Nations initiative that was created to bring awareness to the problem of hunger and malnutrition around the globe. It’s celebrated annually on October 16, and this year’s theme is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.” While there has been significant progress made in reducing hunger and malnutrition over the years, there is still more work to be done. In fact, World Food Day is more relevant than ever in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing food insecurity issues and created new ones. According to the UN, an estimated 130 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty due to the pandemic. And as a result of job losses and other economic impacts of the pandemic, it’s estimated that the number of people suffering from hunger could increase by up to 132 million by the end of 2020.
World hunger is not decreasing
One in nine people around the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy, active life. This is unacceptable. Yet, hunger is on the rise. The number of people who are chronically undernourished has increased by 38 million since 2015.The causes of hunger are complex and interrelated. They include climate change, conflict, and economic instability. But one thing is clear: hunger is a solvable problem. With the right policies and investments, we can end hunger and malnutrition within our lifetimes.That’s why World Food Day is more relevant than ever before. Every year on October 16, countries around the world come together to take action on hunger. This year’s theme is “Our Actions Are Our Future.” It calls on us to stand up for our future by taking concrete actions to end hunger now.
The gap between have and have nots in increasing
The gap between the haves and have-nots is widening. The rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer. This trend is alarming, and it's one of the reasons why World Food Day is more relevant than ever.According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the richest 10% of the world's population now owns 86% of its wealth, while the poorest 10% own just 1%. This gap has been growing steadily in recent years, and it's now at its widest point since the UN began tracking global inequality in 1990.There are a number of factors driving this trend. First, economic growth has been uneven. While some countries have seen their GDPs rise rapidly, others have stagnated or even declined. This has led to a widening gap between rich and poor countries.
