World Food Day: An opportunity to rethink the impacts of our daily actions

Food is the most basic human need after air and water. The right of every individual to sufficient, safe, nutritious and varied food is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental aspect of human dignity.

Yet, after the social, economic and weather turbulences of the past few years, hunger is on the rise again globally. Currently, around 733 million people are facing hunger in the world. More than 2.8 billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet, contributing to undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity.

Quality or quantity diet

Food insecurity and malnutrition are present in developed countries as well, due to factors such as diets that rely heavily on just two or three ingredients. An imbalanced diet disregards the whole spectrum of the nutritional needs of our bodies, including the necessary intake of vitamins, dietary fibre and proteins.

The key goal of this year’s World Food Day is to raise awareness around good nutrition that is beneficial for individuals and nature alike. With well-known, local, seasonal and primarily affordable ingredients, everyone can have a more nutritious and enjoyable diet. 

World Food Day: Hungarian initiative for global goals

Started as an initiative of Hungary in the late 1970s, World Food Day marks the anniversary of FAO’s establishment in 1945 and promotes awareness of hunger and food insecurity, calling on everyone to play a role in building a sustainable future for food, people and the planet.

“Right now, the world’s farmers produce more than enough food to feed the global population, and yet nearly one in 11 people around the world go to bed every night hungry,” said Viorel Gutu, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia. “Every year, World Food Day offers us all an opportunity to rethink the consequences of our everyday actions and choices: If buying or eating this food, am I doing good to myself, to society or to the planet? It’s time to take responsibility for a hunger-free future!”

In the journey towards building more sustainable agrifood systems, each sector and every actor along the value chain, from farm to table – including governments, the private sector, farmers, academia, civil society and individuals – plays a crucial role in promoting the right to food and bringing about positive change.

“The importance of World Food Day is clear if one looks at the projections,” said Minister of Agriculture István Nagy. “By 2050, the global population is expected to grow by 25 percent, while the demand for food is expected to grow by 60 percent.”

He emphasized that Hungary, as the current president of the Council of the European Union, plays a key role in shaping the European Union’s legal framework against food waste. Minister Nagy reminded the audience that in developing countries, households are responsible for more than half of the total food waste. That is why the National Food Chain Safety Office launched the “Wasteless” programme in Hungary back in 2016. This has proved to be successful, he noted, as per capita food waste has decreased by over 25 percent in the country.

Affordable and diverse

The Hungarian Food Bank Association invited well-known Hungarian chefs to promote diverse, nutritious and affordable diets. Michelin-star chef István Pesti pointed out the benefits of pulses with dishes based on chickpeas, lentils and beans. Their consumption not only has health benefits, he said, but thanks to their nitrogen-fixing capabilities as plants, they can contribute to a sustainable agriculture.

Chef Daniel Bernat presented various beetroot-based dishes, as he considers beetroot a seasonal, healthy vegetable with high nutritional value that can be prepared in various ways.

By choosing the ingredients presented, we can ensure a low environmental “foodprint” and high nutritional value; however, individuals can do more to contribute to sustainability beyond eating healthy. Consumers can make healthy, local and seasonal food choices to increase demand for their availability, reduce food waste, protect the environment and stay informed about the global challenges related to food security.

30 000 kg food donations for the needy

The 2024 World Food Day event in Budapest ended with the arrival of a 200-metre-long convoy of heavy vehicles. The nineteenth World Food Day food donation convoy, launched by FAO and the Food Bank Association, rolled through the historic centre of Budapest before unloading at the warehouse of the Food Bank Association. The 19 trucks carried 30 000 kg of food with long shelf lives, including canned food, pasta, baby food, sugar and cheese. The HUF 45 million (over USD 122 500) donation will provide 9 000 food donation packages to vulnerable Hungarian families.

“Food is a basic human right,” said Balazs Cseh, President of the Hungarian Food Bank Association. “We produce much more food already than we need, yet the distribution is uneven, and many people need support to feed themselves. The Food Bank Association helps identify surplus food of producers, retailers, or that of restaurants that are often close to the expiration date or are mislabelled. Every year, we save 10 million kg of food and deliver it to vulnerable people.”

The nineteenth World Food Day food donation convoy is an example of intersectoral collaboration to ensure a greater variety of nutritious, affordable, safe and sustainable food for all. 

The companies joining the donation convoy are partners of the Hungarian Food Bank Association: ALDI Magyarország Élelmiszer Bt., Auchan Magyarország, Bio-Fungi Kft., Bonafarm Csoport, Bonduelle Central Europe Kft., Budapest Party Service, Coca-Cola HBC Magyarország Kft., Danone Magyarország Kft., Gyermelyi Zrt., Intersnack Magyarország Kft., Kifli.hu, KOMETA 99 Zrt., Közértplusz Zrt., Mars Magyarország Értékesítő Bt., METRO Nagykereskedelem, Mirbest, Nestlé Hungária Kft., PENNY Magyarország, Shell Hungary Zrt. és logisztikai partnere a HAVI Logistics Kft., Tesco-Globál Áruházak Zrt., Waberer’s Csoport.