Although food rightfully deserves a day to celebrate it each year, World Food Day is about more than just revering our favourite treats

• The origins of World Food Day
• What is the goal of World Food Day
• Why do we need World Food Day?
• World Food Day Around the World
• How can you celebrate World Food Day?

Some of the nation’s most-loved foods have their own special date in the calendar – we have an Ice Cream Month, a Gin Day and, of course, a World Chocolate Day. Whilst you may put these days aside as designated days for an added treat, World Food Day is more than just a day to scoff our favourite foods.

We take a look at what World Food Day is about and explore how you can celebrate it. Whilst you may choose to have an extra-special meal on World Food Day, remember to put some time aside to consider how you can make a difference to the lives of those who lack even the most basic nutrients in their diets. 

The origins of World Food Day

World Food Day was set up in 1979 in honour of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), which was established in 1945. The FAO was created in an effort to defeat world hunger and improve nutrition and food security.

World Food Day has been held every year since its founding date, with 150 countries participating  to raise awareness behind the issues of poverty and hunger. Each year World Food Day has  a different theme: in 2014 the UN’s focus was on Family Farming, and in 2016 Climate Change and Food took centre stage. 

This year World Food Day will be held on October 16. Although the theme hasn’t yet been confirmed, it is likely that the recent Covid-19 pandemic will be discussed this World Food Day – by the end of 2020 12,000 people per day could die from hunger issues related to COVID-19.

What is the goal of World Food Day

Each year, hundreds of events and outreach activities bring governments, businesses, NGOs, the media and the general public together with a shared aim to try and push for balanced and healthy diets for all.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the FAO. Although the goal to build a zero-hunger generation has still not been met, the annual event brings more awareness around the issue, resulting in an increased demand for change.

Why do we need World Food Day?

Whilst everyone understands that food is a key and fundamental right, for many this is still unattainable. Over 820 million people suffer from chronic malnourishment, with child undernutrition contributing to 45 percent of deaths in children under five

Although a big part of World Food Day aims to target the deplorable levels of starvation in the world, it also targets those who suffer from a poor diet. Cheap and fast foods are often high in sugar and fat, lacking essential nutrients which are vital to good health. Currently, 672 million people have been diagnosed with obesity, and a further 1.3 billion are overweight. 

Although obesity might not seem as deadly as starvation, it is still a serious killer: type two diabetes, coronary heart disease, breast cancer, bowel cancer and stroke are all life-threatening conditions related to obesity. By raising awareness of what constitutes a balanced diet, we can help to tackle obesity and reduce the incidence of related illnesses.

It’s also important to consider food and sustainability – the world’s population consumes 1.6 times the amount of food production the earth can supply. By re-evaluating our food waste and how much we eat, we can help to balance the supply and demand strain on the planet – we’ve already explored how to go zero waste for a week in another blog, which gives some tips on reducing food waste and only buying what you need.

World Food Day Around the World

As more than 150 countries participate in World Food Day, each nation takes its own approach when it comes to raising awareness surrounding starvation and malnutrition.

Europe

In Italy many conferences, lectures and exhibitions have been held to raise awareness surrounding World Food Day. In 2005, Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies held a meeting which focused on women’s rights in rural areas of the EU, who have less employment opportunities when compared to both men in rural areas and women in urban areas. 

In Spain, broadcasting events have been held to highlight food-security issues within the country. National celebrities such as Spanish football star Raúl have worked to encourage discussion regarding issues of hunger.

Hungary has awarded out World Food Day medals to well-known Hungarian nutrition experts, and in Britain the UK Food Group has been active through conferences, media and broadcasts.

Africa

Countries such as Ghana, Chad and Namibia have run campaigns and held conferences to try and tackle the issue of starvation and malnutrition within Africa.

In Nigeria, organisations and individuals have participated in programmes which aim to feed those in need, where stakeholders in food production connect with those in the agro-industry, wholesalers and community-based organisations to reduce food insecurity threats. 

This is particularly crucial for the livelihood of Nigerians; the humanitarian organisation Action Against Hunger has revealed that the growing humanitarian crisis in north-east Nigeria has resulted in over four million people needing to receive humanitarian assistance.

Since 2010, Action Against Hunger have been working with communities and national agencies alike to treat devastating malnutrition, which is a direct result of food insecurity.

Asia

Food festivals have been held in China, with the participation of government officials. Education has also played a big role in raising awareness surrounding World Food Day: Korea has held seminars and made visits to various project sites which grow produce.

Charity also plays a large role in places such as Pakistan – Mentor Amiable Professional Society delivers food packages to those in need, whilst spreading the message of the importance of nutrition by organising workshops.

How can you celebrate World Food Day?

The power of social media shouldn’t be underestimated – retweeting and posting factual pieces of information regarding the current food shortage is an incredibly effective way to spread awareness. Of course, if you fancy getting a little more proactive then there are endless ways to celebrate World Food Day.

Grow your knowledge

One of the best ways to educate little ones, as well as yourself, about the importance of crops is by growing your own. Planting your favourite fruits and vegetables requires effort and maintenance, but if you put in the right amount of work, you can reap the benefits of your produce. 

By showing your children about the hard work needed to grow a successful crop, they’re more likely to appreciate the produce which gets put on their table, even if it isn’t all home grown. Not only does growing your own fruit and veg reduce the demand for produce, but it also causes you to appreciate the food on your plate, lowering the amount of food wastage.

Eating sustainably

Changing your diet might not seem like much of a development, but small changes make all the difference. According to the Guardian, Western beef consumption needs to fall by 90%, due to the strain that livestock farming has on the environment – deforestation, greenhouse gases from farming and water shortages are just some of the negative impacts that intensive cattle farming has on the planet.

Although it might seem scary to give up meat, try swapping some meals with vegetarian alternatives: beans and pulses can be swapped in as a protein substitute for a bean burger or a lentil chilli con carne. 

Picking up more cookery books is also a good way to embrace World Food Day, as eating more varied foods reduces the strain on supplies. 75% of the world’s food supplies come from only 12 plants and just five animal species – by eating a larger variety of foods, we’re less likely to rely on plants which may not survive climate uncertainty, and livestock which requires large areas of land for both the animals, and their feed, to grow on.

Reading the ingredients on the back of your groceries can also play a role in reducing the strain on the environment and food sources: unsustainable palm oil is one of the main causes of mass-deforestation, which can disrupt habitats, as well as contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, raising the levels of global warming. Luckily, some producers have now opted to say no to palm oil (you can see a list of palm oil-free products here), but it’s still important to check to make sure none has been added in.

Eat seasonally – not only does fresh produce always taste and look better, but it also means that you’re not increasing demands for foods to be grown abroad and imported to the UK. Visiting your local farm shop means you can plan breakfasts, lunches and dinners around a vegetable-based meal plan, supporting your local economy at the same time. 

Use your voice

Change.org and Parliament petitions allow you to either sign existing petitions or make your own petitions to put pressure on your government and demand change. Or, if you’re on social media, then tweeting your local MP about an issue related to World Food Day also sparks conversation, and pushes for more sustainable food production practices.

Attending lectures, writing blogs and sitting in on webinars surrounding international food problems can also help to make a difference. By expanding your own knowledge, you can pass this on to family and friends who may not have otherwise known about the food difficulties faced by others.

What we’re doing

Although World Food Day takes place only one day a year, at Hotel Chocolat we’re striving to make every day as sustainable as possible.

One of the best ways to prevent excessive demand for produce is by reducing food waste, which is why we use even the cocoa shells to make our Cocoa Gin, sell visually imperfect chocolates as part of our Ugly But Good bags, and have nearly zero milk waste in our cafés.

Of course, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our cocoa, which is why we think it’s vital that we give back to those who produce the beans for us. By committing ourselves to an Engaged Ethics Programme, we’ve ensured that we gave a fairer share of the financial rewards of chocolate back to our farmers, as well as guaranteeing to buy their harvests.

We also believe that education is key, which is why we don’t just send a cheque: by getting stuck in to help educate farmers on how to improve their productivity, we’re confident that they can share this knowledge with other farmers, helping to build a stronger and more successful farming community.

For this year’s World Food Day feel free to get creative in the culinary department – instead of reaching for the typical chicken and rice, why not get creative? Our cocoa nibs are the perfect product to experiment with, and they can even be added to scrambled eggs to add a wonderfully savoury taste and a nibbly bite.

However, remember to also educate yourself about where your food comes from, and what you can do to help the community which grows it, even if it’s just signing your name on the bottom of a petition. Although World Food Day hasn’t quite beaten the battle of ending world starvation and tackling obesity, by working together we can all do our bit to make the fight just that little bit easier. 

Back to the top