World Food Day (WFD) is observed globally on October 16, every year. The day is celebrated to eradicate worldwide hunger in our lifetime. This day is aimed at generating awareness globally for those who suffer from hunger and to ensure the need for food security and nutritious diets for all. The day was originally marked to celebrate the establishment of FAO in the year 1979, as recommended by former Hungarian minister of agriculture and food Dr. Pal Romany. Gradually, over a course of time, it led to raising awareness for hunger, malnutrition, sustainability, and food production. This day also signifies the anniversary of the founding of the FAO of the United Nations. It also aims to tackle global hunger and eradicate hunger across the globe. This year the theme for World Food Day 2021 is “Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow”. The theme of this year is based on appreciating the individuals who have contributed to creating sustainable surroundings where no one is left hungry. Last year’s theme was based on the suffering of millions of people during the coronavirus pandemic.
The numbers on the ground are quite dramatic. About 821 million people are chronically undernourished, more than 785 million recorded in 2015. Nearly 99% of undernourished people live in developing nations. About 60% of the hungry people in world are women.
About one in five births happens without a skilled birth attendant. Nearly 20 million infants are born each year with low birth weight, of them, 96.5% are in developing countries. About 50% of all deaths in children are under 5 years due to under-nutrition.
