October 15, 2019

World Food Day: Nourishing people and nurturing the planet through sustainable healthy diets for all

Let’s celebrate together! The World Food Day 2019 is calling for action across sectors to make sustainable healthy diets affordable and available to everyone. This year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions are inviting you to celebrate the day and discuss the cross-sectoral role of nutrition with a focus on obesity at local, national, EU and global level.

The World Food Day is celebrated with a high-level event (broadcast live) from Brussels.This World Food Day event is joining up with FOOD 2030, linking the EU Research and Innovation context to the global campaign. Providing an evidence base to policy making and delivering solutions with co-bene­fits is more than ever key to catalyse systems change.

One of the main issues also tackled by EU research projects such as G2P-SOL is biodiversity – an invaluable asset which is rapidly lost due to intensified food production and climate change. Today, only nine plant species account for 66% of total crop production despite the fact that throughout history, more than 6000 species have been cultivated for food. A diverse variety of crops is crucial for providing healthy diets and safeguarding the environment.

World Food Day is celebrated on 16^th October in up to 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar.

More information is available here.