October 16, marks the foundation of World Food Day by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). As the website of World Food Day, United States (US) appropriately phrases it, it ‘is a day of action against hunger’. A day when a step should be taken towards eradication of hunger, if not globally, locally.
The theme for this year’s World Food Day 2020 is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. Our actions are our future.” This day also marks the 75th anniversary of FAO in an exceptional moment as countries around the world deal with the widespread effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Steps to Eradicate Hunger at Personal & Local Level
Ways you can Reduce Food Wastage:
- Plan out your meal and make your shopping list in advance to determine what you actually need. Cut down on the surplus buying & stocking to prevent wastage.
- Avoid impulse buys because it will more or less find itself in the bin.
- If you end up making more food than what can be consumed, feed someone around you who needs that meal.
- Select food according to their shelf life. Use green vegetables first so that they do not get bad. Use canned and bottled food before expiry dates.
- Cooked food, has a low shelf life and needs to be managed better and faster. Check with local NGOs who offer to transport excess food to the needy.
- Better Manage hunger and gender inequalities. There is a need to empower women to gain access to food, be providers, and lead their families for a major impact on food access and ability to change financial situations.
- Many families dealing with poverty need help transitioning into a state of self-dependance. Feeding India is one such organization that helps with this transition. You too can start by providing families with food, and help then slowly find solutions to empower them to be self-sufficient.
Contribute in your own way, to take action against Hunger.