UNIS/SGSM/1357
12 October 2023
World Food Day 2023 comes during a global food crisis, with the world moving backwards on ending hunger and malnutrition.
Some 780 million people around the world are going hungry; almost fifty million children are at risk of death from severe wasting. Yet funding for this year’s global humanitarian appeal stands at just 32 per cent.
In our world of plenty, it is outrageous that a person dies of hunger every few seconds, while the World Food Programme has been forced to cut its essential aid programmes.
In 2015, after years of progress, Governments set the goal of zero hunger by 2030.
But eight years later, the number of people suffering from hunger has increased significantly.
This crisis demands action – first and foremost from national governments, which have a responsibility to make sure their people have enough to eat.
But many governments lack the resources to do so, and so effective international solidarity is also essential.
The long-term causes of the global food crisis include conflicts, climate extremes, inequality, and economic instability.
The UN system is addressing these root causes through our support for sustainable, equitable food systems that put people over profits.
That means massively scaling up investments in resilient agriculture, and aligning them with climate action.
It means leveraging science and technology to improve the efficiency and reach of food systems.
This year’s theme for World Food Day focuses on water – a necessity for nutritious and healthy food.
The sustainable management of water for agriculture and food production is essential to end hunger, achieve the SDGs, and preserve water for future generations.
Zero hunger is achievable.
This World Food Day, I call on governments, the private sector, civil society and academia to work together;
to prioritize feeding the hungry;
to bring ending this crisis to the top of the global agenda;
and to invest in long-term solutions that provide everyone with enough to eat.
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We must transform how we produce and consume, and how we value nature, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development.... Biodiversity loss is a global challenge. No one country, however rich or powerful, can address it alone. Nor can they live without the rich biodiversity that defines our planet."
The growing demand for minerals is amplifying the risks of crime, corruption and instability in the mineral supply chain, says a new study from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released today.
LGBTIQ+ people around the world face an onslaught of hate speech, attacks, and restrictions on their rights. The power of communities is the theme this year which reminds us that we are strongest together. "LGBTIQ+ people, and those working with them to secure their rights, have proved time and again the value of communities in providing support and driving change," says UN Secretary-General António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
