World Food Day 2018 – multimedia resources and key messages

Overview: theme and key messages

The World Food Day 2018 (WFD) - marked each year on 16 October - highlights the need to step up efforts to end hunger as, globally, chronic hunger and malnutrition are on the rise again.

FAO and its WFD partners are calling for all people to work more closely together to create opportunities so that everyone can lead a healthy, productive life - hence, this year's WFD slogan: "Our actions are our future".

FAO and its partners are putting forward concrete actions that governments, farmers, public sector representatives and the general public can take - from countries' boosting social protection programmes to farmers using seeds that are more resistant to drought, to the general public supporting local food producers and adopting a healthier diet. The WFD brochure gives more facts and figures.

Currently, 821 million people - one in nine people - suffer from chronic hunger. At the same time, 1.9 billion people are overweight, including 672 million obese adults. Conflict, extreme  weather  events  linked  to  climate  change,  economic  slowdown  and  rapidly  increasing  overweight  and  obesity  levels  are  reversing  progress  made  in  the  fight  against  hunger  and  malnutrition. Now is the time to get back on track.

Multimedia resources

"My Actions" stories

FAO has spoken to family farmers, children, private business and government representatives and chefs around the world about their actions to end hunger.

Here are some examples of their stories - called "My actions":

• Japanese, Mexican and French chefs share free recipes online, promoting simple, healthy food combinations, and menus with items that people tend to throw away;
• a Kenyan woman is being self-sufficient in a refugee camp growing her own food;
• a young Danish woman fights against food waste;
• a Chilean senator and physician works to address rising obesity rates;
• a South Sudanese farmer is learning new skills to grow more food;
• a woman in the US uses apps to locate surplus foods and transfer it to people in need.

Find all "My Actions" stories here and accompanying photos here.

Video news releases and photos

FAO teamed up with NOOR to tell the stories of people who are fighting hunger in Turkey, Egypt, Philippines, Guatemala and Senegal with support from FAO and its partners. Video materials are also available.

Philippines - using drones to speed up relief efforts

FAO spoke to government emergency responders who use drones to assess damages caused by extreme weather events. The Philippines faces almost 20 typhoons every year, and farmers are worst affected.

View and download photos. Photo credit: ©FAO/Veejay Villafranca

Download the video news release here. Edited videos about Lowell Rebillaco - a family farmer-turned-government worker who uses drones and the project.

Read Lowell's story here.

Turkey - training Syrian refugees

The materials capture Syrian refugees and local community members learning new skills to grow a range of fruits and vegetables. Turkey hosts over 3.5 million refugees from war-torn Syria.

View and download photos. Photo credit: ©Robin Hammond/NOOR for FAO.

Download the video news release here. Edited videos about Yunus Yunus - a Syrian refugee and city-worker turned farmer and the project.

Read Yunus's story here.

Senegal - harvesting and storing rainwater

FAO spoke to women living in drought-hit Sahel region. FAO's "One million cisterns for the Sahel" programme helps them harvest and store rainwater to drink and grow vegetables all year round.

View and download photos. Photo credit: ©Benedicte Kurzen/NOOR for FAO.

Download the video news release here. Edited videos about Guilé Mané - a Senegal farmer who benefits from the programme and the project can be found here as of 12 October.

Read Guile's story here.

Egypt - fighting food loss and waste

FAO spoke to tomato and grape farmers and traders to find out how they reduce food loss and waste. Food loss during farming and distribution is a major issue in Egypt.

View and download photos. Photo credit: ©FAO/Heba Khamis.

Download the video news release here. Edited videos about Mabrook "Rabea" Khamees - an Egyptian grape farmer and the project.

Read Mabrook "Rabea" Khamees's story here.

Guatemala - school meals and gardens to nourish bodies and minds

FAO spoke to school children, farmers and government representatives to find out how a new initiative - linking farmers to schools to provide nutritious school lunches - is changing students' and their families' diets.

View and download photos. Credit: ©Pep Bonet/NOOR for FAO

Download the video news release here. Edited videos about a school girl - Dulce Maria Diaz Perez and the project can be found here.

Read Dulce's story here.

Note: for all video news releases, log in as new user with name and password of your choice to download footage and script.

Podcasts

FAO experts share their views on how we can have a world without hunger. Listen to the podcast.

Tackling food loss and waste in Egypt to improve food security and livelihoods. Listen here.

Info on World Food Day - global ceremony (16 October, FAO Headquarters, Rome)