World Food Day is coming up this Monday, October 16. This year’s theme, Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development, highlights FAO’s work in supporting communities affected by natural disasters and conflict and in building the resilience of displaced and host communities.

The official ceremony will take place at 09.30 in the FAO Plenary Hall and will be webcast on our corporate homepage. His Holiness Pope Francis will attend the ceremony in person and call on the international community to change the future of migration. Given the importance of food security, rural development and migration on the political agenda, G7 Ministers of Agriculture will also be attending the ceremony. In addition, the Heads of the Rome-based Agencies and the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development will address the audience.

Other WFD celebrations will take place in headquarters and worldwide. In headquarters, there will be a Towards Zero Hunger event and an exhibition showcasing beneficiary stories. Around the world, country offices and partners have organized events including hunger marches, races, exhibitions, cultural performances, contests and concerts. The WFD webpage features these and much more on its digital world map.

The World Food Day celebrations are meant to raise awareness of how investing in sustainable rural development and agriculture,not only helps us to achieve Zero Hunger, but also addresses one of today’s major global challenges: migration and displacement.

This day reiterates our commitment to helping achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and emphasizes that FAO was established for this very purpose in 1945.

Please join us live for these celebrations. We also encourage you to promote World Food Day on social media, using #WFD2017 and #ZeroHunger.