Phnom Penh, 14 October 2021 - Cambodia is joining with around 150 countries worldwide to celebrate the World Food Day (WFD) on 16 October 2021 under the theme: Our actions are our future.  Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.” Aligned with containment measures of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to avoid the spread of the COVID-19, the event is organized in an open space in Prey Veng Province limiting participation to 50 people, in representation of key government agencies, the private sector, development partners, media, as well as farmers. Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), H.E. Veng Sakhon, who presides over the event, will be joined by keynote speakers including H.E. Provincial Governor and Representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme.

The WFD 2021 aims to raise awareness of the need for supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. It calls for action across sectors to ensure that our agri-food systems deliver enough affordable, nutritious and safe food for all to lead active and healthy lives, while protecting our planet.

Agri-Food systems covers the journey of food from farm to table – including when it is grown, harvested, processed, packaged, transported, distributed, traded, bought, prepared, eaten and what we do with food waste. It involves a wide range of actors, including farmers and fisher folks, collectors, traders, retailers, processors, and consumers on the way they prepare and enjoy their food.

Mr Antonio Schiavone, FAO Representative a.i. in Cambodia, explains that, “this year WFD is designed as an agri-food systems campaign for the public, drawing their attention on how the food we choose and the way we produce, prepare, cook and store it makes everyone of us an integral part of the system.”

Why care?

The way food is produced, consumed and, sadly, wasted strongly affects our planet, putting unnecessary pressure on natural resources, the environment and climate. Food production too often degrades or destroys natural habitats and contributes to species extinction.

After decades of decline, the number of hungry people has been growing for the past five years with nearly one-tenth of the world’s population going to bed hungry in 2020, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report (SOFI). More than three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, while obesity and other non-communicable diseases are a growing problem. A new report by FAO shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the problem, creating severe setbacks in the progress made so far to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The COVID-19 has also underlined the urgent need to transform the agri-food systems. It has made it even harder for farmers - already grappling with climate variability and extremes - to sell their harvests. 

In Cambodia, the poor and vulnerable households are facing severe income shocks, as most of them rely on diverse sources including on-farm activities, wage labour, non-agricultural activities, and national and international remittance. The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted all of these employment opportunities. According to “UN COVID-19 socio-economic impact assessment in Cambodia”, more than half of Cambodian households have at some point had to cut back on the size and quality of meals over the period of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Solutions exist

Cambodia has a strong commitment to transform its agri-food systems. Cambodia joined the first ever UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021, a global event that forged consensus on bold new actions to transform the way the world produces and consumes food, with an aim to get back on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the UN Food Systems Summit, Cambodia presented its Roadmap for Food Systems for Sustainable Development 2030, which was the product of extensive analysis of many national dialogues with various stakeholders and was well aligned with existing policy frameworks and strategies to achieve the 2030 food systems vision, which focuses on providing food security and nutrition for all.

FAO advocates for a concerted collective action from across sectors to support the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. FAO stands ready to provide support to Cambodia to adopt nature-positive production that will optimize environmental resource use in food production, processing and distribution, thereby reducing biodiversity loss, pollution, water use, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. FAO also supports on adopting innovative technologies and traditional knowledge for farmers to encourage them to grow nutritious foods with sustainable and environmentally friendly methods.

Mr Antonio Schiavone emphasizes that, “to realize this transformation, we need supportive policies, changes in mindsets, behaviours such as adopting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle and reducing food waste, and business models to ensure better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.” 

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Media Contact:

Ms Tet Chann, Communication Officer, FAO Representation in Cambodia

Tel: 011 276 775, Email: [email protected]