16 October 2020

World Food Day

Grow, Nourish, Sustain.

Together.

Our Actions are our Future.

#WorldFoodDay fao.org/world-food-day
 New challenges
In the 75 years since the founding of FAO, the world has
made great progress in the fight against poverty, hunger, and 75 YEARS OF FAO
malnutrition. Agricultural productivity and food systems have
• FAO was founded in 1945 with a
come a long way. Still, too many people remain vulnerable. commitment to improve lives.
More than 2 billion people do not have regular access to enough
• FAO has more than 194 member
safe, nutritious food. The COVID-19 pandemic has added to states and works in over 130
this challenge, threatening to reverse important gains in food countries worldwide.
security, nutrition, and livelihoods. Now is the time to address • We believe that everyone can
the persistent inequalities and inefficiencies that have continued play a role in ending hunger and
to plague our food systems, economies and social support transforming our food systems.
structures. Now is the time to build back better.
©FAO

Decade of Action
We are at a turning point in international efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The year 2020 opens
the Decade of Action to Deliver the Global Goals, to end poverty and hunger, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.
SDG2 (to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture) highlights the need
to achieve food security by improving access to nutritious food through sustainable food systems. We still have much work to
do. More than ever, we need innovative solutions and strong partnerships.

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 • In Pakistan, FAO distributed animal
Resilience and sustainability Quick action feed to struggling livestock farmers,
Some 80 percent of the world’s • In Peru, organic banana growers helped to bolster their resilience
extremely poor people live in rural trained by FAO continued to and business skills by setting up a
areas and most of them rely directly supply the national school feeding farmer field school, and arranged for
on agriculture for their livelihoods. programme, which delivered meals to the distribution of drip irrigation and
To improve lives sustainably, we must children at home. vegetable farming kits.
transform the way in which food is
produced, processed, traded, consumed, • In Haiti, FAO helped the Ministry • In Oman, digital technology has
and wasted, to ensure that we can meet of Agriculture to revive essential helped fish merchants to respond
our future needs without degrading and springtime -agricultural production to physical distancing and other
depleting the biodiversity and other in communities with acute food COVID-19 restrictions by taking their
natural resources on which we all rely. insecurity, distributing vegetable seeds wholesale fish auctions online,
and plant cuttings to households complete with photos and catch
details for buyers. With FAO’s technical
Short term, long term covering nearly 50-thousand people
in hard-hit northeast departments. support, Omani’s agriculture officials
FAO works to build long-term resilience FAO also sensitized households to the and the Oman Technology Fund
and sustainability while also supporting risks of the spread of COVID-19 and piloted the digital-sales platform with
short-term solutions for vulnerable the need to follow official preventive plans to expand it.
communities, especially those which are measures. • In South Sudan, FAO reorganized seed
already grappling with other emergencies,
• In Spain, fisher folk in the historic deliveries to vulnerable farmers in
such as acute hunger, conflict or disease.
L’Horta irrigation district, a Globally keeping with COVID-19 restrictions,
Countries which rely heavily on food
Important Agricultural Heritage System reducing gatherings like county-wide
imports, such as Small Island Developing
(GIAHS) recognized by FAO, took orders seed fairs and providing farmers,
States (SIDS), and countries which
by text message and delivered fresh instead, with cash to purchase seeds
depend on primary exports like oil, also
fish by bicycle to the elderly and directly from local vendors.
need special attention.
others who were unable to leave their
homes during lockdown.
The COVID-19 crisis
• In Georgia, farmers in 22
Ensuring access to safe and nutritious
municipalities were invited to apply
food is an essential part of the response
for emergency grants to cover 75
to COVID-19. Measures adopted to
percent of the cost of growing
slow the transmission of COVID-19
vegetables, roots, tubers, and berries,
have helped to save lives. Still, some
and given technical help to install and
pandemic-related restrictions have
use drip irrigation systems.
made access to food and income
even more difficult for vulnerable
families, with food prices rising and
wages falling in most countries which
were already experiencing food crises.
FAO worked with family farmers and

©FAO/Max Valencia
coordinated with public and private
©FAO/Luis Tato

sector institutions, to quickly respond

with interventions ranging from social
protection schemes to agricultural
support.

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 FOOD
Family farmers everywhere--nearly 800 the first in a long line of workers dedicated
million people--have long been agricultural to producing, processing, transporting
innovators. They manage 75 percent of the and marketing food under difficult
world’s agricultural land and produce about circumstances. Most of us rely on them but

HEROES
80 percent of the world’s food and they are often, smallholder farmers are the ones
constantly working to adapt their methods who are most vulnerable in a crisis.
to everything from pests to weather-related
crises. These food heroes have continued
to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,

©FAO/Alessia Pierdomenico
©FAO/Eduardo Soteras

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Biodiversity and balance Digital tools for locust control
Recent developments like the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pandemic-related restrictions on the movement of personnel
locust and other pest infestations, are stark reminders of the and equipment were introduced just when many countries,
interdependence of humans, animals and the environment. especially in Africa, Asia, and the Near East, were stepping up
FAO’s short-term priorities have included addressing the their fight against the Desert Locust--the most destructive
immediate impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency, migratory pest in the world. FAO intensified its remote
but our long-term response must address the underlying data collection on the Desert Locust and has encouraged
causes of emerging diseases and other challenges potentially susceptible countries to use eLocust3, a rugged handheld
linked to the loss and degradation of biodiversity. tablet and digital application. The app records and transmits

©FAO/Ivo Balderi
data in real time via satellite from remote areas to national
Boosting sustainable food systems locust centres, and to the Desert Locust Information Service
(DLIS) at FAO’s Rome headquarters. Between 2015 and
Agroecology helps to organize crops, livestock farms and
mid-2020, more than 450 of these handheld devices were
landscapes to conserve biodiversity and to give vulnerable
distributed to locust-control teams in various countries and
communities extra support. In Cambodia and Lao PDR, for
FAO has developed versions for mobile phones and GPS
example, FAO has supported organic farming livelihoods by
devices.
helping smallholder producers to gain access to new markets
through the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS). In 2020,
the importance of sustainable food systems received new
confirmation from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Trust Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund, which
contributed USD 176 million to FAO-led projects that promote
sustainable use of natural resources and climate-smart
practices. The funding will go to 24 projects in countries
ranging from Brazil to Yemen.

SPOTLIGHT: AEROPONICS FOR FOOD

At least 30 farmers in Rwanda are producing food without soil
or natural light, to help meet the needs of a growing population.
They use aeroponics to cultivate crops by suspending the roots in
the air and growing the plants in a humid environment. The use of
aeroponics in Rwanda was pioneered by Apollinaire Karegeya, who
©Globe Guide Media Inc

initially faced challenges in getting quality seeds from his crops,

due to problems with plant bacteria and viruses. In 2018, an FAO
project to promote the roots and tubers sector in Africa provided
Karegeya with training in better storage techniques, agribusiness,
and working with financial institutions.

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 It is vital to scale-up
innovation in agriculture,
including digitalization
and e-commerce, while

Innovation
producing in a more
©FAO/Luis Tato

sustainable way.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu on Twitter

One key lesson which FAO has Hand-in-Hand Initiative Geospatial Platform will help countries
learned in its 75 years is that simply to pursue science-based and data-
producing more food is not enough. FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative is an driven decision making, bringing
We need to ensure that food systems innovative business model designed to together more than 20 FAO units across
are sustainable and that they deliver bring potential partners together across multiple domains, from animal health
affordable, healthy diets for us all, the public, private, IFI, academic, civil to trade and markets. The platform is
including the most vulnerable among society, and other sectors. It matches integrating data from across FAO in
us. Innovative technologies, science, donors with recipients and uses data categories like soil, land, water, climate,
research and private sector companies and modeling to support tailor-made fisheries, livestock, crops, trade, and
can all help us to transform the ways in efforts in the world’s least developed social and economics data. It also draws
which we produce and consume food-- countries, SIDS, and others with food on information from FAO partners and
for the well-being of our communities, crises. public data providers, including NGOs,
our economies, and our planet. The Initiative’s new Hand-in-Hand the private sector and space agencies.

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 publication The State of Food Security assessment which identifies and tracks
FAO at work and Nutrition in the World. policy responses in a broad range of
FAO makes use of its broad network of areas, such as emergencies, nutrition,
offices, partners, technical expertise, • Support the development and sharing
of innovation in sustainable agriculture social protection and incentives.
and access to data to provide support to
global, regional, and national policies, and improve access to relevant digital • Using our Food and Agriculture Policy
strategies, and programmes on food tools. Decisions Analysis (FAPDA) database
security and nutrition and related issues. • Provide and support capacity to give an overview of policy decisions
Here is some of what we do: development and awareness-raising adopted by countries to mitigate
programmes. the impact of COVID-19 on food and
• Develop and support formulation agriculture.
of scientific or technical standards,
• Using the Food Price Monitoring
methods and approaches, which can Data for smart policymaking and Analysis Tool, with the latest
then be applied at the country level.
FAO uses data and analysis to support information on domestic food prices
• Work with partners to write policy- decision makers in numerous ways: and crop calendars to support
oriented norms and standards recommendations on planting and
• Producing technical and policy briefs
for international agreements and harvesting during the COVID-19
on the impact of situations like
conventions. outbreak.
COVID-19 on livelihoods, food and
• Develop and support databases and agriculture, markets, poverty and
information systems at the global level. nutrition.
• Produce studies, reports and • Gathering—through the Data Lab
information, such as the flagship and the use of big data--a global

SPOTLIGHT: DIGITAL APP FOR WATER MANAGEMENT

FAO and Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica have
brought digital water sensors, automated weather stations, and
other cutting-edge technologies and innovations, to rural farmers
in several Latin American countries. The partnership is helping
farmers to better manage water resources and cope with extreme
climate-related events. Telefónica’s Smart Agro digital application
uses remote sensors to help farmers monitor, control and predict
moisture conditions and water needs. The app has helped farmers
with potato and coffee production in Colombia, cotton farming in
Peru, and various crops in El Salvador. In Ecuador, Smart Agro is
providing other types of information, such as livestock status and
greenhouse gas-emission levels.
©FAO/Ernesto Benavides

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 Our actions are our
future
©FAO/Hoang Dinh Nam

What can countries do? • Encourage more climate-smart and environment-friendly

• Meet the immediate needs of vulnerable populations practices to preserve natural resources, promote dietary
through emergency food assistance and improved, more health, support climate regulation, and slow the biodiversity
accessible, social safety nets. destruction that can contribute to disease outbreaks.
• Support the dissemination and use of data. • Prioritize innovation and digitalization and work to close the
digital divide.
• Support urgent measures to increase food availability from
smallholder farmers. • In times of crisis, consider government procurement
schemes to buy agricultural commodities from small
• Establish evidence-based policies and legal support for
producers to establish or increase stocks of non-perishable
sustainable food systems, such as regulations on nutrition,
items.
decent employment, and land resources.
• When battling health and economic crises with aggressive
• Work together to make food systems more resilient to
public spending, adopt measures to avoid food price
volatility and climate shocks.
volatility.
• Ensure that sustainable food systems deliver affordable
• Practice global solidarity or international cooperation
healthy diets for the poor and decent livelihoods for food
to avoid devastating effects on smallholder famers in
system workers.
countries with very limited fiscal capacities.

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What can the private sector do? SPOTLIGHT: SUPPORTING LIVELIHOODS IN SYRIA
• Private businesses should invest in sustainable, resilient In Syria, farmers have had to adapt repeatedly to keep the
food systems which offer decent employment. country’s important wheat production going. They have
• Companies should develop, adapt, and share technologies persevered amid conflict, displacement, and acute food
that help to transform food systems. insecurity. Growers have had to contend with seed shortages
and stolen or vandalized farm equipment. Lessened conflict
• Private sector food businesses and retailers should and good rainfall helped to improve wheat crops in 2019, but
make sustainable food choices attractive, available, and the arrival of COVID-19 restrictions in early 2020 brought new
affordable. challenges. Farmers could no longer travel far to take their
animals to graze, purchase supplies, or sell products at the
• Companies should develop plans to minimize food losses market. FAO coordinated with UN partners and multiple donors
and waste in production and processing and use or share to deliver seeds to growers for spring wheat planting. They also
excess stocks and food surpluses. helped farmers to build tunnels to house vegetable seedlings
• Companies should respect national regulations and and repair and rebuild irrigation systems. FAO substituted
measures to protect food safety, food quality and the well- classroom training in agriculture and entrepreneurship with
smaller, outdoor lessons to observe pandemic-related physical
being of staff along the entire food chain, especially in
distancing schemes. Together with the World Food Programme,
developing countries. FAO has helped communities to keep track of pricing on seeds,
• Digital sector companies can help to build the resilience pesticides, and other necessities.
of food chains. They can develop, adapt, and share
technologies to address transport, supply and demand
issues, and help to smooth temporary shortages or
surpluses.
• Food companies, including e-commerce firms, can embrace
or share new technologies to manage supplies, especially
highly perishable goods.
• In times of crisis, banks and financial institutions can help
farmers with outstanding loans by considering measures
like waiving fees, extending payment due dates, or offering
alternative repayment plans.
• Large, healthy enterprises can help to insulate supply
chains and consider extending credit to help smaller
businesses stay afloat.
• Companies can share expertise or technologies with public
and other private entities to help improve sustainable food
production and livelihoods. Mobile apps and other digital
tools can help tackle challenges ranging from climate
change and crop pests to pandemics.
• Companies should be mindful of their impact on natural

©FAO/Jafar Almerei
resources and adopt a sustainable approach.

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What can we all do?

©Sasiistock

We all have a role to play to realize the

vision of a world without hunger and SPOTLIGHT: STRENGTH IN
malnutrition. We must not let sustainable PARTNERSHIPS
©FAO/Lekha Edirisinghe

habits fall by the wayside in times of

crisis. We can make healthy food choices. Donor countries, development banks,
We can do our part to reduce waste. civil protection experts, private sector
foundations, and other UN agencies,
We can advocate for governments,
are among those who have coordinated
enterprises, and organizations to share
actions with and provided support for
knowledge and support sustainable, FAO. Crucial private sector support for
resilient food systems and livelihoods. locust control following the start of
Together, we can grow, nourish, and the COVID-19 pandemic included 10
sustain our world. million USD in funding from Mastercard
Foundation to invest in a range of
©FAO/Alessia Pierdomenico

activities, including early detection,

spraying, and safety measures.
©FAO/Luis Tato

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Fast facts
More than 2 billion Approximately 14% of the Intensified food production, combined
people do not have regular food produced for consumption with climate change, is causing a rapid
access to safe, nutritious and globally each year is lost before loss of biodiversity. Currently,
sufficient food. reaching the wholesale market. only nine plant species
account for 66 % of total food
crop production.
If our food systems are not
About 135 million transformed, undernourishment

people across 55 countries and malnutrition will greatly

increase by 2050. The Poor diets and sedentary
experience acute hunger
requiring urgent food, nutrition, and consequences could worsen due to lifestyles have led to
livelihoods assistance. income inequality, unemployment, soaring obesity
or poor access to services.
rates, not only in developed
countries, but also low-income

The global population More than 3 billion people in countries, where hunger and obesity
often coexist. No region is
is expected to reach almost the world lack access to the
Internet, most of them in rural and exempt.
10 billion by 2050, remote areas. Smallholder farmers
significantly increasing the demand
need greater access to innovation,
for food.
technology, finance and training to
improve their livelihoods.

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 World Food Day
Each year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day on 16 October to
commemorate is founding in 1945. As FAO marks its 75th
Anniversary, it continues to work with partners in every
region to help those who are most vulnerable to hunger and
malnutrition, to make food systems more resilient, and to
make livelihoods more sustainable. The widespread effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the importance for
all of us to show global solidarity and take action.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

ORGANIZATION
OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla

00153 Rome, Italy

www.fao.org/wfd
#WorldFoodDay

CA9893EN/1/07.20
© FAO, 2020
Some rights reserved. This work is available
under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence
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