Sustainable food system must to combat rise in hunger: UN Chief

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of World Food Day this year, Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, noted that almost 40 per cent of humanity, amounting to around 3 billion people in the world cannot afford to eat healthy at present. World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 every year.

The UN Secretary-General noted that hunger and undernourishment are on the rise, and the economic impacts of COVID-19 have made the situation worse. He quoted a study data which established that the pandemic made additional 140 million people unable to access the food they need.

In his address, the Guterres mentioned how the way humans are producing; consuming; and wasting food has started taking heavy toll on the planet.  He warned how this pattern is putting epoch-making pressure on earth’s natural resources, climate and natural environment, thereby costing humans trillions of dollars a year. Last month, the world had taken part in the UN Food Systems Summit which addressed the need to transform food systems everywhere in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2020.  

Food and Agriculture Organization reports that sustainable agri-food systems can offer food security and nutrition to everyone without compromising the economic, social, or environmental bases for generations to come. Collen V. Kelapile, President, Economic and Social Council, said that the day highlights how access to science, technology and innovation, smart investments and cooperation can make “hunger a hardship of the past”. He added that we should not disregard the potential of each individual action if we want to see a future where no one is hungry and where our food systems work in conjunction with, not at odds with, our planet’s ecosystems.