World Food Day

On October 16, La Chaîne de l'Espoir celebrates World Food Day! Spotlight on the importance of the fight against malnutrition and the issues raised by food security.

What is World Food Day?

Mariela, open-heart surgery in Madagascar

World Food Day is an initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Its aim is to raise public awareness of the problems of hunger and malnutrition in the world, and to promote action to ensure healthy food for all. This day is an opportunity to recall the importance of food security, food sustainability and the fight against precariousness. It also encourages international cooperation to meet the world’s food challenges.

The date of World Food Day

World Food Day takes place every year on October 16. This date marks the anniversary of the creation of the FAO, founded in 1945. This annual rendezvous serves as a reminder of the world’s commitment to food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and the fight against hunger, and raises awareness of persistent food-related challenges worldwide.

What can you do on World Food Day?

According to the latest edition of “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report, published jointly by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the FAO, between 691 million and 783 million people suffered from hunger in 2022 .

Despite relatively stable data on world hunger between 2021 and 2022, the food crisis is worsening in many regions: West Asia, the Caribbean and all sub-regions of Africa. Africa remains the most severely affected region, where 1 in 5 people suffer from hunger, more than twice the world average.

La Chaîne de l’Espoir is working to combat malnutrition and thus foster a better learning environment for children in several countries around the world, including Togo. Since 2019, we have been rolling out the “Ma santé, mon école: un enjeu collectif au Togo” school health program, which integrates school canteens within 16 establishments in Lomé, the capital. We provide logistical and financial management, and every day, “mamans cantines” see to the distribution of a hot meal to more than 20,000 pupils, helping to improve their well-being and educational prospects.