MESSAGE ON WORLD FOOD DAY, 16 October 2019
2019.10.16
World Food Day is a global call for Zero Hunger — for a world where nutritious food is available and affordable for everyone, everywhere.
But today, more than 820 million people do not have enough to eat.
And the climate emergency is an increasing threat to food security.
Meanwhile, two billion men, women and children are overweight or obese.
Unhealthy diets present an enormous risk of disease and death.
It is unacceptable that hunger is on the rise at a time when the world wastes more than 1 billion tonnes of food every year.
It is time to change how we produce and consume, including to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Transforming food systems is crucial for delivering all the Sustainable Development Goals.
That is why I hope to convene a Food Systems Summit in 2021 as part of the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.
As a human family, a world free of hunger is our imperative.
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