Every 6 seconds, a child dies from malnutrition and related diseases. This is an awful truth that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN has been trying to fix for years. That is why, 30 years ago, the organization named October 16th World Food Day. It is on this day of the year that we are asked to stop for a moment and think about the people all around the world who go hungry every day. In order to increase awareness for the cause, many different organizations have begun holding events over the years. Here is a small sample of the events that went on this year:
- The Ark of Learning – on September 30th, the U.S. National Committee for World Food Day collected non-perishable food items and donated them at local food pantries across the country.
- Itadakimasu – on October 14th, Table For Two USA (a national organization that partners with restaurants and other food establishments to serve healthy, nutritionally balanced meals, and gives the proceeds to provide school lunches in countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia) and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs connected simultaneous video feeds in New York, D.C., San Francisco and Tokyo. Itadakimasu means “Bon Appetit” in Japanese, and the event was intended to raise awareness and money for the cause.
- The Danforth Center’s World Food Day Commemoration – on October 14th & 15th, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Missouri hosted a large, two-part event for the cause.
- Part 1: The “NOW” – 3,000 volunteers packaged meals for 500,000 children in Tanzania.
- Part 2: The “FOREVER” – after packaging the food, volunteers were able to explore the science center, where they saw photo displays, were able to touch and taste plants developed by scientists, and meet the real scientists and farmers themselves.
- Living Full – on October 16th in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, local restaurants and vendors came out to spread awareness, while providing a fun-filled day for the whole family. They provided food, family activities, prizes, and art galleries.
- World Food Day Sunday Dinners – on October 16th, Oxfam America (an international relief and development organization) asked thousands of people to dedicate their Sunday dinner to a conversation about where the food comes from, who is behind its cultivation and how we can make the system more sustainable. They made placemats to use at the dinner table, as well as sets of recipe cards to give out to guests with cheap recipes printed on them.
These are but a few of the events that went on this year in an effort to bring an end to world hunger in the near future. Did you take part in any World Food Day events? Leave a comment below and tell us all about it!
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