Know-How Exists to Create Systems That ‘Grow, Nourish, and Sustain’, Feed Millions Who Go Hungry, Secretary-General Says in Message for World Food Day

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on World Food Day, observed on 16 October:

The award of this year’s Nobel Prize for Peace to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) recognizes the right of all people to food, and our common quest to achieve zero hunger.

In a world of plenty, it is a grave affront that hundreds of millions go to bed hungry each night.  The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified food insecurity to a level not seen in decades.

Some 130 million people risk being pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of this year.  This is on top of the 690 million people who already lack enough to eat.  At the same time, more than 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.

As we mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we need to intensify our efforts to achieve the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.  That means a future where everyone, everywhere, has access to the nutrition they need.

Next year, I will convene a Food Systems Summit to inspire action towards this vision.  We need to make food systems more resistant to volatility and climate shocks.  We need to ensure sustainable and healthy diets for all, and to minimize food waste.  And we need food systems that provide decent, safe livelihoods for workers.

We have the know-how and the capacity to create a more resilient, equitable and sustainable world.  On this World Food Day, let us make a commitment to “Grow, Nourish, and Sustain.  Together”.