World Food Day

Background:
To mark and commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, every year, World Food Day is celebrated across the globe on October 16. This day aims at tackling global hunger and striving to eradicate hunger across the world.

World Food Day was established in November 1979, suggested by former Hungarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Pal Romany. It is celebrated by more than 150 countries around the world. Every year on October 16, World Food Day is celebrated to fight the food crisis and hunger around the world. World Food and Agriculture Organization F.A.O. According to, the biggest challenge posed by climate change is the food crisis. On the other hand, the population of the earth is increasing day by day, and to bring this proportion of the growing population towards food security, it is necessary to make the traditional methods of agriculture more productive and commercialized by adapting to climate change. Today's need is to be able to produce as much as possible by cultivating seasonal and non-seasonal crops even on small land and to use food sparingly.

Water is Life, Water is Food.
World Food Day 2023 will focus on the theme, 'Water is Life, Water is Food.
Leave No One Behind'. The theme aims to highlight the critical role of water for life on earth and water as the foundation of our food.

Food production in Nepal
Two decades ago, when more than 80 percent of the total population was engaged in agriculture, most of the households in Nepal still make a living by digging up soil and agriculture. It is estimated that more than 60 percent of the Nepali population is still, directly and indirectly, involved in agriculture. If we look at the family profession of many of us, we find that one or two generations ago there is a substantial trace of the farming profession.

The gradual cessation of production of locally grown crops, the use of highly toxic pesticides to reduce the capacity of productive soils and the gradual disappearance of indigenous species are the challenges of food management in the 21st century. Nepal commenced its modern development but
abandoned its participatory social engagement in agriculture and this is why today such a fertile Nepal has been importing foods from foreign markets.

Today is also the day when Nepali must understand that agriculture is the most glamorous and responsible profession to undertake and lucrative also. Especially in Nepal, we are still not able to engage in commercial agriculture and the main reasons for this are the inability to encourage and attract students in agricultural education, this could be because of the lack of actions in government policymaking or many other reasons.

In the 1960s, Nepal was one of the sixth largest exporters of rice in the world, but agriculture in Nepal has been declining and today Nepal is at the peak of importing many agricultural products including rice.

If we compare the city of 50 years ago with the city of today, only the mouths of food grow more than the hands that grow, this is a problem for food crisis management. World Food Day is also important to make the world, which enjoys technology, communication, and physical infrastructure, aware of
future problems due to declining investment and enthusiasm for slow food production. According to a statistic, by 2025, due to food shortage in the world, large corporations in developed countries have been claiming to invest in the vacant lands of developing countries. In the post COVID era, food security and sovereignty is more vital than ever before.

The movement of middlemen between farmers and consumers should be reduced and transparent relations should be maintained between producers and consumers. Land distribution should be productive, irrigation facilities should be simple and market management should be fair. Let's remember, food is the essence of our survival and the bedrock of our culture and communities.

Happy World Food Day everyone!

-Suyog Dhakal