FAO-Agriculture Deptt. Jointly Celebrate 'World Food Day'

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Department and University of Agriculture Peshawar celebrated the World Food Day (WFD) here on Monday

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Oct, 2021 ) :Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agriculture Department and University of Agriculture Peshawar celebrated the World Food Day (WFD) here on Monday.

Referring to the theme of the day: Our actions are our future, better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life," the Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Prof. Dr. Jehan Bakht Khan said that according to the Food Security Assessment (FSA) Survey 2016, 18% of Pakistanis are under nourished whereas around half of the population is consuming less than the dietary requirement of vitamin A and Iron.

He further added that food security in Pakistan is primarily attributed to limited economic access of the poorest and most vulnerable ones to food; and therefore, for addressing the challenge of food insecurity, the Government of Pakistan has formulated a national Food Security Policy under which short-to-long term interventions have been designed and planned for ensuring quality and nutritious food for all round the year.

On this World Food Day, we pay tribute to all our Food Heroes around the world including in Pakistan and KP Province, the way they continued to work against all the odds to ensure we had enough food to eat.

This World Food Day also calls on all of us to become a Food Hero ourselves, as we start to change the ways in which our food is produced, processed, stored, distributed and consumed.

A new momentum and energy is building towards making our agri-food systems more fit for purpose. The day stressed the need of food security for everyone and all times in order to build a better tomorrow for everyone, narrated the FAO's press release public here on Monday.

Addressing the event, Mr. Waleed Mahdi, International Program Coordinator said that WFD is celebrated every year on 16th October � the founding day of the FAO, to raise awareness about the need of supporting transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better life for everyone.

It calls for action across sectors to ensure that our agri-food systems deliver enough affordable, nutritious and safe food for all.

The FAO Director General on this occasion, through his written message, highlighted that this year the World Food Day finds us at a critical moment.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a global challenge, causing untold losses and hardships. The impacts of the climate crisis are all around us. The lives and livelihoods of millions of people have been thrown into turmoil, with widespread suffering due to many natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies.

A large number of Faculty members and students of the Univ. of Agriculture, representatives of the UN agencies, and senior staff of the Agric. Research and Extension departments, and farmers from the KP and Newly Merged Districts attended the event.

At the close of the ceremony, farmers received gifts and tributes; and Deputy Program Coordinator, FAO KP, Mujibur Rahman shed light on the important new publications of FFS and FBS manuals and Climate Smart Profiles of KP, which were later on, presented to the invited guests.

During the month of October, the FAO held a public awareness campaign in KP, where posters and badges were presented to the food heroes. The FAO and Down Town Restaurant collaborated to commemorate the WFD Theme.

The aim of raising awareness on the importance of being able to eat healthy and nutritious food every day throughout the year.