Malnutrition and waste on Nutrition Day

World Food Day (GMA) was established by FAO Member Countries in November 1979, during the 20th Session of the Organization Conference.

The chosen date, October 16, is the anniversary of the founding of FAO in 1945. Since then it has been celebrated every year in over 150 countries.

Eliminate hunger and poverty in the world, this is the message of World Food Day 2015. It will be celebrated in Milan, at the Expo, with the participation of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and the Director General of FAO, together to the President of the Italian Republic, and to the Italian Ministers of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs.

Social protection seen as an effective tool for helping communities to get out of poverty : this is the point on which it is based in the current edition and the importance of working together to make this possible; as per official announcements, in fact, recent studies show that in the last ten years, social protection has been an important means in the fight against poverty .

Expo for Food Day

The official celebrations of World Food Day take place this year at Expo Milano 2015 and are expected to be one of the most prominent events of the Universal Exposition.

In addition to the aforementioned authorities present - representatives of the member countries, representatives of the different countries at the Expo, representatives of the Italian Government and other FAO partners were invited to the event - there will be a great official ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the FAO, dedicated this year to "Social protection and agriculture to break the cycle of rural poverty". The theme is closely connected with that of the UN, namely " Zero Hunger Challenge - United for a sustainable world ".

Among the most important moments of the ceremony will be the official presentation to the UN Secretary General of the Charter of Milan, a manifesto that aims to involve all citizens in the fight against undernourishment, malnutrition and waste, and at the same time to promote sustainability and equal access to natural resources .

Another document will also be presented, which is one of the legacies of Expo 2015 that bears the title of Urban Food Policy Pact, or Pact on urban food policies, with which mayors from all over the world are committed to coordinating international food policies.

Also noteworthy are the Zero Hunger Generation projects , Generazione Fame Zero, an interactive event with questions and answers from students to analyze the fundamental role of young people in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (OSS), and Finance for Food, organized by the Italian Ministry of Economy and IFAD.

Beyond the Day

In addition to official celebrations, there are also initiatives that directly affect the population, here they are.

For the occasion, the video of World Food Day (at the bottom of the page) was created with the official presentation. Children and young people from many schools were also involved, to create a poster or poster on the subject; furthermore it is possible to follow the blog of the Food Day where everyone can report their experience and make proposals and have space for inherent discussions.

At this link you can find the map to get to Expo and the FAO brochure for social protection, explaining how you can break the cycle of rural poverty. It is important to remember that the cycle of poverty must be fought every day, starting with the children: not wasting food, learning the cycle of life, eating consciously and respecting everyone's work.