Clarion call to end hunger by 2030
Ethiopia: Government, FAO, WFP, partners to commemorate World Food Day 2018
12 October 2018, Addis Ababa – The Government of Ethiopia, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme in collaboration with other partners will commemorate World Food Day on October 16, 2018, in Mojo town with the theme of “Our actions are our future. A #ZeroHunger world by 20130 is possible”.
The fight against hunger has come under renewed pressure in recent years. The 2018 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World - an annual flagship report jointly prepared by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO to inform on progress towards ending hunger - illustrated that after a period of decline, chronic hunger and malnutrition was on the rise again for the third successive year, threatening years of progress.
Speaking at the World Food Day press conference, Fatouma Seid, FAO Representative to Ethiopia underlined some of the significant challenges. “Conflict, climate change, economic slowdown, inequality are just some of the reasons why the goal of a Zero Hunger world may seem more difficult to achieve than before,” she said.
However, experience has shown that food security and nutrition can make great strides when countries, institutions and people work together. A wide array of partners thus need to cooperate and redouble efforts if we are to achieve the globally-agreed goal of Zero Hunger, as spelled out in Agenda 2030.
“No single organization can achieve Zero Hunger if it works alone,” said Steve Were Omamo, Representative and Country Director of World Food Programme (WFP) in Ethiopia. “We work hand-in-hand with our partners here in Ethiopia to provide nutritious food to those in urgent need. In this way, we are working each day to make zero hunger a reality, rather than an aspiration."
Ethiopia has put in place robust policies and strategies in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Ethiopia’s achievement of reducing stunting from nearly 60 to 38 percent in less than 20 years indicated its remarkable progress in its effort to achieve ending child under-nutrition by 2030.
In his statement, Kaba Urgessa, State Minister of the Natural Resources Management Directorate at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources said, “Working together with the people of Ethiopia and partners, we will transform our agriculture and livestock sector’s production, productivity and competitiveness so that we can achieve Zero Hunger by 2030."
ABOUT WORLD FOOD DAY
World Food Day is celebrated each year on 16 October to promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger with the objective to ensure the availability and access of sufficient and diversified food for all. This year’s World Food Day (WFD) calls for action to get back on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.
Other key partners involved in the WFD 2018 commemorations in Ethiopia are; The African Union Commission, Economic Commission for Africa, Ethiopian Agriculture Transformation Agency, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Livestock Research Institute and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Contact:
Daniel Dentamo, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Public Relations Expert
E-mail: [email protected], Tel. 0912035143
Tamiru Legesse, FAO, National Communication Officer
E-mail: [email protected], Tel. 0911861293
Paul Anthem, WFP, Head of Communications, Donor Relations and Reports
E-mail: [email protected], Tel. +251 11 517 2130 M +251 091 151 3817