Far beyond zero hunger, everyone has a right to nutritious food

Children wait for food at a camp for internally displaced people in Khan Younis. AFP

This year, the theme for World Food Day is “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”. It’s a timely reminder that all people have the right to adequate foods.

But how do we get from a right to a reality? And why is it so important to think about not just having sufficient food, but also the diversity of diets? That’s why I speak of “foods” in the plural, emphasising this diversity, as well as food availability, food accessibility and food affordability for all.

Right now, the world’s farmers produce more than enough food to feed the global population in terms of calories. Yet about 730 million people are facing hunger due to man-made and natural disasters, including conflict, recurrent weather shocks, inequalities and economic downturns.

A worker during her lunch break at an agricultural produce market, in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. As of late September, about 3 million metric tons of unmilled rice was in storage in Chhattisgarh alone. Photographer: Abeer Khan / Bloomberg

Another harsh reality is that more than 2.8 billion people in the world are unable to afford a healthy diet, which is a leading cause of all forms of malnutrition.

Simply put, almost one third of the global population today is not getting the nutrients and micronutrients they need to thrive and, in some cases, survive. This means that the quality of life for about half the world is more urgently in need of improvement.

We need a greater diversity of nutritious and affordable foods to be available in our fields, fishing nets, markets and on our tables, for the benefit of all. This is not just about populations’ nutritional requirements, but also about ensuring that agrifood systems are efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, so that they can be respectful of traditional food cultures and healthy diets based on science and suited to personal preferences.

Another crucial consideration is the long-term health and sustainability of the environment on which we rely to produce these foods and which needs biodiversity to thrive.

The right to foods will not in itself fill stomachs or put more diverse diets on plates. But it does help frame collective aspirations for the kind of just and equitable world we want to live in. It creates concrete obligations for governments and key partners to fulfil, and it should encourage all of us to do our part to ensure it is realised.

This is the reason for action. Now.

At the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, we are working hard to turn this right into a reality, even in the face of a range of challenges. In conflict zones, access to foods is being disrupted, leading to malnutrition and hunger. In these and other hunger hotspots, the FAO’s efforts are focused on rebuilding agricultural infrastructure to ensure food availability and accessibility for long-term food security, with all tools and channels.

Aside from such emergency interventions, key FAO programmes such as the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, One Country One Priority Product, Blue Economy and the Technical Co-operation Programme also target medium to long-term food security and nutrition across a wide range of countries.

In many places, dietary changes and market concentration driven by globalisation have led to increased health issues, including obesity and diabetes. School feeding programmes supported by the FAO play an important role in helping address these challenges, as they source food from local farmers and ensure children receive nutritious meals.

In many countries, across all regions, the FAO is working with fishing communities and local governments to expand social protection and economic inclusion of the most vulnerable by helping them diversify their production, build alternative income sources and connect to new markets.

Inflation, particularly during periods of economic instability, can make food unaffordable. In some African countries, for example, the FAO’s initiatives include cash transfers to the poorest households, helping them afford food during hyperinflation.

A vendor prepares a red pepper pie for customers at a street food stall in Salqin village in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province, near the border with Turkey, on September 14. During harvest season, Salqin, alongside other towns of Syria's northwestern rebel-held Idlib region traditionally growing this crop, is colored red as farmers process the peppers, drying them on balconies and rooftops. AFP

The climate crisis poses a significant threat to global food security. Erratic weather patterns and natural disasters can devastate crops and livestock. In some countries in Asia, for example, the FAO has introduced climate-smart agriculture techniques to help farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions, ensuring consistent food production.

Further, by working closely with governments, the FAO helps develop legal frameworks and has assisted in drafting national policies towards ensuring food security and nutrition for all.

But it’s not just governments that we call upon to engage in this battle. Collective action can drive substantial change, with global collaboration from all sectors, and all partners – governments, the private sector, academia, civil society and individuals.

And especially the youth – because a food secure future is their right. They design and decide the future. All calls from the UN Summit of the Future are determined by their actions.

Farmers can make a difference by practising sustainable agriculture that enhances biodiversity and manages natural resources responsibly. Businesses can make nutritious and diverse foods available more affordably. Academia and civil society can hold governments accountable by collecting data, identifying areas for improvement, implementing science-tech solutions and measuring progress towards targets.

Science and innovation, including IT, biotechnology, AI and digital agriculture, among others, will be a decisive force for the transformation of agrifood systems.

Finally, all of us as consumers can and should play our role in reducing the “foodprint”, practising healthy lifestyles, raising our voices to influence decision-making, reducing food waste and promoting food diversity.

On this World Food Day, we should renew our commitment to build more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems that honour everyone’s right to varied and nutritious foods.

Together, we can get back on track to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – our collective pledge to take action for people, planet and prosperity. We can accomplish this by transforming global agrifood systems to ensure the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.

Our actions are our future.