Rome - New York: Europe and the Arabs
On the occasion of World Food Day, the United Nations called for building food systems that nourish people and protect the planet, noting that 673 million people around the world still go to bed hungry every night. More people face uncertainty about their next meal every day. The United Nations warns that progress towards eradicating hunger is too slow globally and is regressing in some regions. According to the United Nations Daily News Bulletin, the United Nations commemorates World Food Day annually on October 16, emphasizing the need for global action to combat the scourge of hunger through improved agriculture and nutrition.
This year's celebration coincides with the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In a message on the occasion, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, "Eighty years ago, in a world torn by war, countries came together to defeat hunger. In the decades since, the world has made significant progress."
However, Guterres warns that recent crises demonstrate that we cannot be complacent if we are to maintain these gains. He emphasized that we have the tools, knowledge, and resources to end hunger and provide good, healthy food for all, noting that what we need is unity.
"It is shameful that hunger is being used as a weapon."
The Secretary-General pointed to new challenges that he said have emerged over decades—from rising obesity rates to climate shocks that threaten food security.
He added that it is shameful that hunger is being used as a weapon, warning that we face the horrific reality of people in conflict situations starving as famine spreads.
Hunger knows no borders.
This year's World Food Day theme is: "Hand in hand for better food, a better future."
During an event held in Rome, FAO headquarters, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said: "Hunger knows no borders, and the challenge of food security requires unity among nations. World leaders and people everywhere must unite in the belief that the right to food is a fundamental human right, and that peace is a prerequisite for food security." For his part, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV drew attention to the vast numbers of people who lack access to drinking water, food, basic medical care, adequate housing, basic education, or dignified work.
“How can we forget those condemned to death and hardship in Ukraine, Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Yemen, and South Sudan, to name just a few places where poverty has become the daily bread of so many of our brothers and sisters? The international community cannot turn its back. We must make their suffering our own.”
Helping Gaza’s farmers recover
At an event held in Rome on Thursday, several speakers linked the conflict to the fact that so many people are currently suffering from hunger.
Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said that Gaza had a "vibrant" agricultural production system before the war, including "greenhouses, orchards, and a livestock sector," and that the UN agency has already begun developing plans to rebuild it.
A Month of Action for Food Security
Throughout October, a variety of events and activities are taking place at FAO headquarters in Rome during World Food Week, providing opportunities to learn, share, and engage in the global movement for food security and sustainability.
World Food Day 2025 calls for global cooperation to build a peaceful, sustainable, prosperous, and food-secure future. By working together across governments, organizations, sectors, and communities, FAO has demonstrated that we can transform agricultural and food systems to ensure everyone has access to a healthy diet and lives in harmony with the planet.