Healthy, sustainable diets: World Food Day 2019
With theme Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World, World Food Day 2019 aims to curate discussion and inspire action to make healthy, sustainable diets available and affordable to everyone.
Based on latest estimates from State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019, two billion people around the world do not have regular access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food. For the third year in a row, the global number of hungry people has increased to 821 million—a figure that for the first time has been outpaced by the number of overweight people.
At the same time, food production systems are responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions while 1/3 of all global soil is degraded.
Solutions for healthy, sustainable diets start with the plate. So, for World Food Day, we’ve laid out a number of ways we can all champion a better food future for all.
STOP THE WASTE
We produce enough food to feed everyone, yet one in nine people go to bed hungry every night.
At the same time, one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted.
WE MUST STOP THIS!
This October, the United Nations World Food Programme will launch #StopTheWaste, a global movement to help fight food waste. Get involved:
-Search your fridge or pantry for that ingredient that you’ve forgotten about (but is still safe to eat!) and create a dish! Share a photo on social with a pledge to #StopTheWaste, then tag three friends challenging them to do the same.
-Don’t stop there! Share your recipe featuring the spare items you’ve found, or simply share your “secret tip” for the best food waste dish, then encourage others to share their own.
-Want to go big? Host a dinner party and ask friends to bring a food item that might have otherwise gone to waste. Move the party to the kitchen and create a new dish together to #StopTheWaste!
#WorldFoodDay Chat
On October 15th, FAO North America and Chefs’ Manifesto are teaming up for a #WorldFoodDay Chat! Touching on affordable, nutritious & sustainable diets, we’ll highlight actions and solutions for a healthy food future for people and planet. Get involved: The @FAONorthAmerica account will post the below six questions during the hour-long chat:
- Today there are more overweight and obese people than undernourished people. What are the main challenges of making healthy and sustainable diets accessible and affordable for all?
- What role should we all play to deliver healthy, sustainable diets for all i.e. farmers, chefs, government, NGOs, civil society, youth etc.?
- Today only nine plant species account for 66% of total crop production despite more than 6000 food species that have been cultivated for food. How can we diversify our diets and agricultural production?
- Climate change threatens to reduce crop yields as well as the nutrient quality. How can we promote food systems that ensure healthy people and a healthy planet in a changing climate?
- What is a healthy eating habit that works for you? Do you have a favorite recipe, cooking book, or other tips that you can share?
- How are you commemorating #WorldFoodDay this year?
Share your thoughts and follow the chat using #WFDChat.
Global FoodBanking Network Twitter Chat
Food banks nourish the world. In the past year, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) served 9.6 million people facing food insecurity by rescuing 503 million kgs of surplus, edible food and redirecting it to social service agencies. This World Food Day, GFN aims to raise awareness about food banks’ nutritional programming and celebrate the positive impact on individuals’ ability to access the healthy food they need to thrive. Learn more about it:
- Check out the GFN World Food Day webpage
- Share their World Food Day images
- Check out GFN’s work on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
2020for2020
With its focus on sustainable, healthy diets, World Food Day is a great opportunity to showcase chefs around the world who champion biodiverse ingredients! Adding nutrient-packed moringa or climate-smart millet to the plate is key way to deliver healthy, sustainable diets for all. By demanding lesser-known ingredients from sustainable sources, chefs and eaters alike can help shift the food system by encouraging the growth and supply of a more diverse range of crops. Join us in plating up the future of food by sharing a biodiverse recipe with #20202for2020!
Find below resources to champion action on healthy, sustainable diets!
