Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

16 October 2024

World Food Day

World Food Day 2024

Right to foods for a better life and a better future  

‘Foods’ stands for diversity, nutrition, affordability, and safety. A greater diversity of nutritious foods should be available in our fields, in our markets, and on our tables, for the benefit of all.

Learn more about the theme. 

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©FAO_ Riccardo De Luca

World Food Day flagship events 

Catch the highlights of the flagship events from World Food Week! Watch the recorded World Food Day ceremony from 16 October and the Junior World Food Day School Assembly during the World Food Forum on 17 October, both held at FAO headquarters.

Explore these inspiring events where leaders, food heroes, and advocates from around the world united for the World Food Day's global call to action.

Watch the webcasts

Creating a buzz around #WorldFoodDay 

Chefs, advocates, and influencers from around the world joined forces for #WorldFoodDay, amplifying the call for a food-secure future. Their creative buzz flooded social media with World Food Day assets—videos, GIFs, and our interactive Instagram filter—showing that anyone can become a food hero and inspire others to take action!

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©FAO:Alessandra Benedetti

How can I join #WorldFoodDay? 

From food tasting or cooking demonstrations to music performances, roundtables or simply spreading the word, you can take part in World Food Day. Use our free material and be creative!

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World Food Day Poster Contest 2024

Calling all parents, teachers and anyone who knows a 5-19 years old! Join the World Food Day Poster Contest and show us your creativity. Design a poster that symbolizes your favourite dish or recipe, representing the importance of diverse, nutritious, safe and affordable foods. Show us what this means to you, your community or the world through art.

The submission deadline is 8 November 2024.

Learn more
Conflict and violence are still the primary causes of hunger. In 2023, conflict remained widespread and pervasive and was the primary driver affecting almost half (nearly 135 million in 20 countries) of those suffering acute hunger.  
Climate change disproportionately affects the rural poor, their agricultural yields and productivity, contributes to increasing pests and diseases and changes the nutrient composition of major staple crops.  
The world's smallholder farmers produce around a third of the world's food.  
Around 600 million people depend, at least partially, on aquatic food systems for a living.
Food insecurity is more prevalent among adult women than men in every region of the world. Worldwide, women are 1.3% more likely to be moderately or severely food insecure than men.  
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C, compared to 2°C, will benefit water resources and reduce water stress induced by climate change.   
Wetlands - the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems - are disappearing three times faster than forests, and 85% have been lost over the past 300 years. 
More than 600 million people fall ill and 420 000 die every year as a result of eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals.  
In 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight. Of these, 890 million were living with obesity. 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight.  
Over 2.8 billion people in the world are unable to afford a healthy diet. Healthy diets are diverse, balanced in energy intake, adequate in all nutrients and moderate in the intake of unhealthy foods. (sofi 2024) 
Some 22.3% children under the age of five are too short for their age (stunted) and 6.8% are too thin for their height (wasted).  
Around 733 million people are facing hunger in the world due to repeated weather shocks, conflicts, economic downturns, inequality, and the pandemic. (SOFI 2024)
The right to food means that food must be adequate, available and accessible to all. It is a legally binding human right in international law, enshrined in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1966. 171 countries have ratified the ICESCR and at least 45 countries have recognized the right to adequate food in their constitutions.

Get inspired to take action  

As a global community, we all need to get involved. Governments, the private sector, farmers, academia, civil society and individuals need to work together to ensure all people have access to enough diverse, nutritious and safe foods. We all have a role to play to tackle inequality and poverty, make healthy food choices to increase their availability, reduce food waste and protect the environment.  

Learn more
© FAO / Jeison Higuita

Youth corner 

Young people are the change makers of the future. Discover the latest World Food Day youth activities designed to inspire individuals of all ages to become #FoodHeroes, no matter how young. 

Discover

Right to #FoodHeroes

Join us in celebrating the work of #FoodHeroes - the women, men, boys, and girls who are helping to realize the right to food for all, nurturing our communities and making a positive change, even under challenging circumstances.

Read more
© FAO

Stay in the loop! Subscribe to our newsletter  

Join the World Food Day community and be the first to know about the latest news on World Food Day. Discover how you can join the campaign and take action for the future of food, people and the planet.   

 

Contact us if you need more information. 

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Join us

Across the world, people are unleashing their creativity and raising awareness about World Food Day. From marathons and hunger marches to artistic exhibitions, lively cultural performances, contests, and uplifting concerts, people in nearly 150 countries join together in response to the global call for action. NGOs, journalists, governments, cities, civil society organizations, and individuals, including youth, seize this opportunity to unite and inspire meaningful change. 

Check out the wide variety of events taking place and discover the World Food Day Friends that lending their voices to show support! 

WFD Friends

(The Gambia)

Gambia Celebrates World Food Day with Community Involvement
16/10/2024

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a vibrant celebration for World Food Day in partnership with the Ministry...

(Jordan)

FAO World Food Day Commemoration in Jordan
16/10/2024

On October 16, 2024, FAO commemorated World Food Day in Jordan with a ceremony held at the Zaha Cultural Centre, under the patronage of Her Royal...

Beijing (China)

Beijing – The Launch Ceremony for World Food Day Celebration in China
14/10/2024

On the evening of October 14, the FAO Representation in China partnered with Beijing 798 Culture and Technology Co., Ltd. (798 Culture & Technology)...

Wuhan (China)

Wuhan – Main Venue Event in China
16/10/2024

On the morning of 16 October, FAO together with China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NAFRA), Ministry of Agriculture and...

(Brazil)

Institutional Event at a Brasília Museum
16/10/2024

In collaboration with the Ministries of Social Development and Agrarian Development, FAO co-organized an institutional event at a museum in Brasília....

World Food Day - It's your day!

Collective action across 150 countries worldwide, in up to 50 languages, is what makes World Food Day one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. Hundreds of events and outreach activities bring together governments, municipalities, businesses, CSOs, the media, the public, even youth. They promote worldwide awareness of hunger and promote action for the future of food, people and the planet. 

Together we can create a better, more sustainable food future for all. Make #WorldFoodDay YOUR day. Join the call by organizing an event or activity or show how you are taking action. 

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