World Food Day: 40% Population Cannot Afford Healthy Diet; Other Concerns & Possible Solutions

World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 to commemorate the day of the founding of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), an initiative of the United Nation.

Slowly this organisation became the platform for raising awareness about hunger, malnutrition sustainability and food production. The FAO has come with shocking facts about food and hunger along with the agri-food system with the challenges growing amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.

THE PRESENT CONCERNS

– Around 40% of the world’s population can’t afford a healthy diet.

– More than two million people are obese because of poor diet and lifestyle diseases

– 33% of global greenhouse gas emission is due to the world’s food system

– World’s agri-system employs over 1 billion people, which is larger than any other sector.

– 14% of food is lost due to poor handling at the primary stage while storing and transporting agricultural products

2021 will be the year for those individuals, academic institutions, government bodies and private sectors, who have shared and contributed to building a sustainable world so that no one goes hungry. Some of the actions suggested by FOA are:

– Choosing a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy body and environment. Stop encouraging the market, which provides ultra-processed foods

– Pick your foods and products by reading the labels and packaging carefully

– Buy food and products when required. This will reduce wastage

– Bring in the process of recycling and it can start from home – water, kitchen waste composting

– Start your own kitchen garden

– Support your local framer and producers