Africa: When Will World Food Day Be a Day to Actually Celebrate?
World Food Day seems like it should be a time to celebrate. A day to eat delicious meals and enjoy the rich traditions and cultures of food around the globe.
However, it’s challenging to celebrate when conflict, the climate crisis, and biodiversity loss leave at least 733 million people hungry around the world. Dr. Evan Fraser from the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph refers to these as cascading crises. The consequences are severe.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2023, one in 11 people globally faced hunger. In Africa, one in five people experience hunger.
If current trends persist, more than 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, with half of these individuals residing in Africa, as reported by FAO and other United Nations agencies. This is less than six years away, which highlights the urgent need for action.
Fortunately, solutions already exist. The theme of this year’s World Food Day is ‘Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future’. Everyone deserves access to healthy, nutrient-rich, safe, and delicious food.
The United Nations emphasizes, “A greater diversity of nutritious foods should be available in our fields, in our markets, and on our tables, for the benefit of all.” It’s crucial to add that we also need a diversity of people, practices, and thoughts to help feed the world.
This year, the prestigious World Food Prize will honor Dr. Cary Fowler, the Special Envoy for Food Security, and agricultural scientist Dr. Geoffrey Hawtin. They are recognized for their extraordinary leadership in preserving and protecting the world’s crop biodiversity, as well as mobilizing this crucial resource to address global food security challenges.
Dr. Fowler advocates for farmers and governments to cultivate “opportunity crops” such as cowpea, millet, and sorghum, along with other ancient and resilient foods. These crops, often overlooked in favor of maize and rice, have the potential to solve numerous issues, including enhancing soil health and offering profitable options if storage and processing improve, particularly in regions like sub-Saharan Africa.
Another evident solution is empowering women and girls. Currently, we are underutilizing at least 50 percent of the world’s population. Ensuring equal rights for women is not only a moral imperative but is also instrumental in addressing the hunger crisis.
The FAO states that if women had the same access to resources as men—such as education, credit, financial services, and extension services—they could lift up to 100 million people out of hunger. Additionally, gender equality positively influences economic growth. According to Betty Chinyamunyamu of the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi, “gender integration makes good business sense.”
Moreover, women often cultivate the nutritious foods that contribute to agrobiodiversity, including those opportunity crops as well as fruits and vegetables. “Women’s empowerment has a positive impact on agricultural production, food security, diets, and child nutrition,” asserts the FAO’s Status of Women in Agrifood Systems. Empowering women in all aspects of their lives is sensible and beneficial for society.
Furthermore, farmers—whether small, medium, or large—need an active role in discussions impacting their future, from international dialogues like COP29, the U.N. Climate Change Conference, to collaborating directly with scientists and entrepreneurs to develop effective solutions for the challenges they face.
For example, Good Nature Agro in Zambia works with farmers to prevent post-harvest losses and manage their land sustainably. Similarly, the Global Alliance of Latinos in Agriculture strives to cultivate an environment where farmers and ranchers succeed on a global scale, with plans to bring hundreds of producers to COP30 in Belem, Brazil, next year.
This World Food Day (October 16), the Arrell Food Institute is bringing together agri-food leaders and experts to explore solutions like diversity, the empowerment of women, and placing farmers at the forefront to create a safer and more sustainable global food system. A food system that benefits everyone.
Hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, World Food Day will indeed become a day to celebrate.
