UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday hailed the positive changes made towards sustainable food systems on the occasion of World Food Day. In a video message, Guterres said World Food Day not only reminds everyone in the world of the importance of food, but also calls for action to achieve food security.
He said that today about 40 percent (3 billion) of the world’s population cannot afford a healthy diet. Food shortage is increasing rapidly. Along with this, malnutrition and obesity are also increasing. The economic effects of the corona pandemic have made the situation worse. He said the pandemic has left an additional 140 million (14 crore) people unable to access the food they need.
Guterres said the way we produce, consume and waste food is taking a toll on our planet. This is putting historical pressure on our natural resources, climate and natural environment, and we are losing trillions of dollars every year. He said that as this year’s theme makes it clear, the power of change is in our hands. The theme of this year’s World Food Day is our actions are our future.
Last month the world gathered for the United Nations Food System Summit. Countries made bold commitments to transform food systems. Efforts to make healthy food more affordable and accessible are focused on making food systems more efficient, resilient and sustainable at every step, from production and processing to marketing, transportation and distribution.
The UN Secretary-General said that we can make change only when we decide how we want to consume food. We are committed to taking transformative action to meet the Sustainable Development Goals through food systems that provide better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for everyone.
