BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THE global theme for this year’s World Food Day that’s been celebrated in Honiara is “Leave No One Behind, Better production, Better nutrition, Better environment.”
Observed each year on October 16, World Food Day is meant to raise awareness and inspire action on behalf of those suffering from hunger. This year’s commemoration in Honiara is marked by various awareness activities and stunning displays of local crops designed in creative arrangements.
In marking the day yesterday (October 19) at the Justice Ground, Honiara. Hundreds including the local public, officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) various departments, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations with their partners and stakeholders participated in a spectacular event to celebrate the global occasion.
According to the MAL communication department, the world food day event at the Justice Ground will continue today with a series of events including the ‘Agriculture Show’ and awareness, displays, and demonstrations of agricultural products as of today (Thursday) and ends on Friday (Tomorrow).
The theme for this year is ‘Leave No One Behind.’ According to the FAO, 2022 finds us with an ongoing pandemic, conflicts, a climate that won’t stop warming, rising prices, and international tensions.
“This is affecting global food security.
“We need to build a sustainable world where everyone, everywhere has regular access to enough nutritious food.
“Although we have made progress towards building a better world, too many people have been left behind. People who are unable to benefit from human development, innovation, or economic growth.
“Millions of people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet, putting them at high risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. But ending hunger isn’t only about supply. Enough food is produced today to feed everyone on the planet.
“The problem is access and availability of nutritious food, which is increasingly impeded by multiple challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate change, inequality, rising prices, and international tensions. People around the world are suffering the domino effects of challenges that know no borders.
Ministry of Fisheries and Marines Resources stall at the Justice Ground in Honiara.
“Worldwide, more than 80 percent of the extreme poor live in rural areas and many rely on agriculture and natural resources for their living. They are usually the hardest hit by natural and man-made disasters and are often marginalized due to their gender, ethnic origin, or status. It is a struggle for them to gain access to training, finance, innovation, and technologies.
“No one should be left behind,” FAO stated.
