World Food Day: Addressing the Issues in Nigeria’s Food System

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By Cecilia Attah

World Food Day, celebrated every year on October 16th, serves as a crucial reminder of the global struggle against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

World Food Day commemorates the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. The organization was created to address the pressing need to combat hunger and further enhance food security globally.

In November 1979, after 34 years, it was officially recognized as a global holiday at the 20th FAO conference. Subsequently, 150 countries continued to observe the day after it received its official recognition by the United Nations.

Since 2014, World Food Day has been utilized to promote the idea of caring for the world and reducing poverty in rural nations.

Research shows that the global food supply is sufficient to provide sustenance for the entire world population but approximately 800 million people still suffer from hunger.

In a world where abundance coexists with scarcity, this day highlights the need for collective action to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry,

The significance of World Food Day extends far beyond a single day of commemoration. It is a reminder of the challenges faced by millions of people worldwide, especially in developing countries.

The day echoes the importance of promoting food security and sustainable agriculture to tackle the complex problem of hunger.

Hunger is not just a lack of food, it is a symptom of poverty and inequality, millions of people, including children, suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition, which can have severe long-term consequences on their health and well-being. Access to nutritious food is a fundamental human right, and yet, for too many people it remains a distant dream.

The theme for World Food Day 2023 is “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind” The focus is on the importance of water for food production and the need to ensure that everyone has access to safe and sufficient water for their food needs.

According to the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, Dr. QU Dongyu, governments should give importance to water in their policies and plans, and consider it in various sectors and throughout the water-food-energy ecosystem.

He also stated that the theme established a crucial link between food and water, emphasizing that the absence of water results in the absence of food, and there can be no food security without water security.

Unfortunately, As Nigeria marks World Food Day along with the rest of the world, there is frustration over the ongoing issue of high food prices.

Nigeria is not excluded in this hunger crisis as it is ranked 109th out of the 125 countries in the 2023 Global Hunger Index, which has sufficient data to calculate the scores. With a score of 28.3 on the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria is facing a serious level of hunger.

It has been reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that approximately 25 million people in Nigeria are currently facing a hunger crisis. This is due to a combination of factors such as the ongoing conflict in northeastern Nigeria and a rapidly growing population, which has led to a shortage of food and hindered economic progress, the agricultural and subsistence farming sectors in the northeast region of Nigeria are heavily relied upon.

To address this situation, President Bola Tinubu announced a “State of Emergency” in July over food insecurity in Nigeria.

This decision is viewed as a proactive effort to increase agricultural output and lower the prices of essential food items in the country. It aligns with the government’s plans to tackle the problems of food affordability and availability in the short, medium, and long term.

Declaring a state of emergency on food security should not just be a speech or announcement, all necessary agencies, especially The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, should take the lead in developing policies and programs aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in food production.

Meanwhile, Nigerian officials should take note of this year’s World Food Day and its significance. There is a lot of work to be done in ensuring food security, and simply talking about it is not enough, to achieve this goal, concrete actions must be taken.

World Food Day also highlights the importance of international cooperation and solidarity. It encourages governments, organizations, and individuals to work together to find innovative solutions to global food challenges. By investing in agricultural research, supporting small farmers, and promoting sustainable practices, we can create a world where everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

As we celebrate World Food Day, let us renew our commitment to building a world free from hunger. Let us advocate for policies that promote food security, support sustainable agriculture, and ensure that no one is left behind. Together, we can create a future where every person has enough to eat, and hunger becomes a relic of the past.

Quotes to celebrate World Food Day:

“There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf.

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