Food Supply

Oct 16, 2024, is World Food Day. Food is the third most basic human need after air and water – everyone should have the right to adequate food. This year we focus on the theme of the ‘right to foods for a better life and a better future’. While the current global food production is adequate to meet the needs of the population, hunger continues to increase in some parts of the world.

Recent progress has been made in reducing hunger in Asia and Latin America; however, the world is still facing food crises in many regions, especially in Africa. The global food supply is facing several challenges and uncertainties. These challenges include:

Climate Change: Sometimes, the weather can be unpredictable. Climate change affects both the quantity and quality of food available. Erratic weather patterns, droughts, floods and extreme temperatures continue to threaten crop yields and livestock production worldwide. Heatwaves can harm crops, making it harder for farmers to grow enough food.

Water Scarcity: In many places, there isn't enough water for crops to grow well. Farmers need water to water their plants, but there isn't always enough to go around. Irrigation is essential for agriculture, especially in areas where rainfall is insufficient or unreliable. By irrigating crops, farmers can ensure consistent water supply, which is crucial for healthy plant growth and higher crop yields.

Land Degradation: Soil erosion, deforestation and land degradation reduce arable (fit for or used for the growing of crops) land. Soil fertility is essential for agriculture because it determines the soil's ability to provide essential nutrients and support the growth of crops.

Rapid growth of population: As the world's population grows, there are more mouths to feed. We need to make sure we produce enough food for everyone. As people get richer, they often want to eat more meat and dairy. But raising animals for food takes a lot of land and water, which can be a problem.

Throwing Away Food: We waste a lot of food. Sometimes it's because food goes bad before we can eat it, and sometimes it's because stores and restaurants throw away food that isn't sold. For many people in the world, food waste has become a habit: buying more food than we need at markets, letting fruits and vegetables spoil at home or taking larger portions than we can eat.

Here are four United Nations agencies that work to address food security:

• The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals.

• The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations working to address food security and rural development issues in developing countries.

• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works with the United Nations and its agencies to make sure that children are on the global agenda. UNICEF strikes a balance between thorough research and practical solutions for children.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

It's important to take care of our planet so we can keep growing food. We need to protect plants and animals to make sure our food supply stays healthy. By learning about these challenges, we can work together to find solutions to make sure everyone has enough to eat now and in the future.

The Food and Agriculture Organization is happy that May 30th is now recognized as International Day of the Potato by the UN. The annual observance was championed by Peru.