World Food Day

by Amy Judd | October 16, 2008 at 01:09 pm

670 views | 15 Recommendations | 20 comments

October 16 is World Food Day, sponsored by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in order to highlight the plight of people around the world who do not have enough food to survive. The situation that not everyone can get enough food is a dire one.

According to the 2008 Global Hunger Index just released by the International Food Policy Research Institute, 33 countries in the world have "alarming or extremely alarming" levels of child mortality, child malnutrition and other hunger-related health problems. (See interactive map below.) But a new international poll suggests that the public will exists to end the scourge of hunger. VOA's Adam Phillips reports.

Despite improvements in the global economy and living standards in many countries in recent years, more than 900 million people - most of them in developing countries - continue to experience chronic hunger. In recognition of this crisis, leaders from more than 100 nations met at the United Nations in 2000 and agreed to eight so-called Millennium Development Goals. Among them was a commitment to halve the number of people in the world who live on $1 a day or less by the year 2015.

Governments are failing to deliver on promised aid to many countries in need today. Only one tenth of the 22 billion euros promised for assistance has reached the UN food agency, but this could also have something to do with the fact that the number of people in the world classed as hungry is up to 925 million.

Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said in a statement in Geneva that the whole system of food production needed to be radically overhauled to ensure an equitable outcome.

"The violation on a daily basis of the right to food for hundreds of millions of people worldwide has its roots in an outdated and inadequate production system, rather than in the actual quantity of food available," he said.

Severe shortages and high prices of food is contributing to the food crisis across the world.
Officials are concerned the the current global financial crisis is contributing to the fact that there just isn't the money to fund these food programs.

Asked whether the economic crisis has had any immediate effects on the food situation, Benson says, "From the financial crisis, no, not yet… We are warned it will be a couple of weeks, couple of months, before we start seeing the effects, as the reduced demand in the developed world translates into reduced demand for the products of the developing world, like Uganda. So, this may be a slow onset sort of crisis in terms of the food insecurity."

In the Philippines, people marked the day with an anti-poverty protest near the United States Embassy in Manila.

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Rhonda J Mangus

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:34 on October 16th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. Thanks for this story!

Amy Judd

at 16:26 on October 16th, 2008

Thanks Rhonda!

foreignobsessed

at 16:20 on October 16th, 2008

Two street boys I sat and ate a lunch with in Garanhuns, Brasil Jan. 2008. I speak girias and Portuguese. I bought the soap and the red shirt for the boys, and they each received a pair of new sandals. The shirtless boy has baby blue eyes. The boy w/ the red shirt already had severe signs of malnutrition (blonding hair and protuded belly with linky belly button). The boy w/ the red shirt was very wary of me. The blue eyed boy, Daniel, sat on my lap and asked to go home with me. I had to explain I live a few airplane rides away.
Brasil is thousands upon thousands of street children. While rich Brazilians blame capitalism, and corruption, I blame greed. Wealthy Brazilians live in large mansions, while poor Brazilians (generally always dark skinned) live in extreme poverty.

What can you do? Sponsor a child. Remember, someone out there always has it worse than you.

foreignobsessed has contributed a photo to this story.

Amy Judd

at 16:25 on October 16th, 2008

Thank you for sharing the story behind the picture - very moving.

nathan gonzales

at 16:48 on October 16th, 2008

My everyday street journey

As i walk though a crowded place near taytay market, this street kid caught my attention so pure and ignorant but his eyes is filled with struggles, struggles for hunger and poverty. The street is his playground begging for food to fill his burning empty stomach, working instead of playing, ignorance that is taken away by poverty.

Nathan Gonzales
Binangonan, Rizal, Philippines

nathan gonzales has contributed a photo to this story.

Amy Judd

at 17:00 on October 16th, 2008

Very moving - thanks

danesller0127

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 16:58 on October 16th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Amy Judd

at 17:00 on October 16th, 2008

Thank you!

nathan gonzales

at 17:36 on October 16th, 2008

amyjudd, Good Story.

In a third world country like the Philippine where i live, poverty is a common thing, you see it everywhere, it embraces you.

danesller0127

at 18:03 on October 16th, 2008

Thanks! Kabayan nathan', for sharing...

Mabuhay ka!!!

danesller

nathan gonzales

at 18:08 on October 16th, 2008

wow! Mabuhay ang Filipino! Im happy seeing you Kabayan here.

danesller0127

at 18:32 on October 16th, 2008

You're welcome!!!

MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Northern Samar, Sulu, and Masbate are the "poorest" provinces in the Philippines, according to the National Poverty Map 2007 prepared by the Peace and Equity Foundation.

PEF said the three provinces had the "most pronounced conditions of poverty" among the Philippines' 81 provinces.

PEF ranked the provinces according to its PEF Development Index, which is based on various government poverty indicators, including the lack of housing, lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities, incidence of malnutration and income level.

Following Northern Samar, Sulu and Masbate at the low end of the PEF Development Index were Basilan, Western Samar, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Sarangani, Zamboanga del Norte, and Negros Oriental.

In terms of poverty incidence, Zamboanga del Norte topped the list with 64.6 percent of families living below the poverty level.

Following Zamboanga del Norte are Maguindanao (60.4 percent), Masbate (55.9 percent) , Surigao del Norte (54.5 percent), and Agusan del Sur (52.8 percent).

PEF started its poverty scanning program in 2003 to identify priority areas for its poverty reduction program.

source: TAC/Inquirer News Service/Arab News

efwhelan

at 18:58 on October 16th, 2008

A family in Wellingara, Mali, shares a mid-day meal. Photograph taken by Elizabeth Whelan.

efwhelan has contributed a photo to this story.

DINOlozano

at 19:37 on October 16th, 2008

took this shot in the place you could never think of...
this is beside a church door.. when I got there, a dog was eating on her plate.. instead of taking a pic right that instant, I scared the dog away 'coz it just broke my heart and i couldn't believe of what I saw.... How I wish i could do more to help people like them...

-->if any body out who has a program helping people like them, pls let me know.. It would be my pleasure to help...

DINOlozano has contributed a photo to this story.

chresler draimler

at 22:31 on October 17th, 2008

POOR DIGNITY AND HOPE

this picture was taken on my journey deep into the heart of sarawak borneo. the boy in the photo lives in one of sarawak's many longhouses. the boy's longhouse was reachable by boat through a river. the journey takes about 3 hours from the main town(sibu). particularly, most of the houses were built along the river bank so that the members could make living from the river.
his father is a fisherman and has to feed 5 other family members. because of poverty, his father can not provide better education for him and his siblings as well. to help lessen the burden, the boy catches fishes, prawns or anything eatable from the river and sells his catch at nearby outskirts or among the members of his longhouse.
every penny he earns worth for a meal of the day. unfortunately, the world food crisis brings its impact to this particular young boy and his family as the food prices rocketing high especially rice. everyday ahead is a tough day to feed himself and the family members.

chresler draimler has contributed a photo to this story.

danvanmoll

at 02:13 on October 18th, 2008

The two pictures I've contributed were taken during my work with the "Welthungerhelfe"in Mozambique this year. I've been with aid workers there for about 4 weeks, taking care of orphans spread all over the country.

danvanmoll has contributed a photo to this story.

jhoole

at 07:48 on October 24th, 2008

Courtesy of Global Poverty Action

jhoole has contributed a photo to this story.

Amit Kumar Das

at 10:38 on November 13th, 2008

Children of migrant labourers, who are labourers themselves are taking food after a hard day's of work. I shot this photo in the streets of Fancy Bazar, a busy market place in Assam, India. Such children are plenty in numbers in our country and live a very pitiable life, devoid of basic amenities.

Amit Kumar Das has contributed a photo to this story.

Paschen

at 04:39 on November 15th, 2008

Great story Amy, Thank you posting it.

gerrypopplestone

at 03:34 on March 27th, 2009

The FAO has just announced today that the numbers of malnourished people across the world has risen from 850 million (where it cstayed for some years) to around one billion now. FAO says there must be "more investment in agriculture". But no signs of that investment yet!