‘Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together’–World Food Day

World Food Day has been marked on 16 October since 1981 to raise awareness and to encourage food security. For 75 years, World Food Day has been observed every year in more than 150 countries, raising awareness of the issues behind poverty and hunger.

This year’s theme, ‘Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together’ is focussed on providing meals and ensuring food security to the most vulnerable during the Covid-19 crisis.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, a survey conducted in May — The Livelihoods, Food Security and Vulnerability Survey Report supported by the Ministry of Agriculture with support from the World Food Programme (WFP) and Australian Aid singled out three provinces: Far-Western, Karnali and Province 2 as the most vulnerable.

The phone survey concluded that the main reason for greater food insecurity was the loss of jobs due to the economic crisis induced by the Covid-19 lockdown.

This month the World Food Programme (WFP) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in a statement the Executive Director, David Beasley said: “Where there is conflict, there is hunger. And where there is hunger, there is often conflict. Today is a reminder that food security, peace and stability go together. Without peace, we cannot achieve our global goal of zero hunger; and while there is hunger, we will never have a peaceful world.”