World Food Day - Photo:canva.com
According to the 2021 ‘State of Food Security’ report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, moderate or severe food insecurity has been climbing slowly for six years and now affects more than 30% of the world’s population. In 2019, it was reported that high food costs and persistent levels of income inequality put healthy diets out of reach for 3 billion people.
World Food Day October 16th, 2022, is being marked by a year of multiple challenges including conflict, rising prices, climate variability and extremes and the ongoing pandemic which exacerbate underlying poverty and converge to further affect the availability and access to safe, nutritious food. “Leave no-one behind” is the focus for World Food Day 2022 which aims to raise awareness and build momentum for transformative and inclusive change including integrating humanitarian and peace-building responses in places of conflict, ensuring trade is open, improving resilience to climate impacts on food systems, eliminating food waste and tackling poverty and structural inequalities.
In June 2022, Pope Francis joined world leaders in appealing for a resolution to the blockade of grain exports from Ukraine. Pope Francis expressed great concern for the lives of millions of people, especially in the poorest countries and urged “please do not use wheat, a staple food, as a weapon of war.”
Sr Caroline Vaitkunas RSM
Peace, Ecology and Justice Office
Columban Mission Centre, Essendon
