World Food Day, October 16th, is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year-around action to alleviate hunger. World Food Day (WFD) is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year-around action to alleviate hunger. It is observed each October 16th in recognition of the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. The first World Food Day was in 1981. In the United States the endeavor is sponsored by 450 national, private voluntary organizations.
Sign the 1 BILLION HUNGRY PETITION. The www.1billionhungry.org project offers a constructive outlet for feelings of frustration and anger about hunger. This is an orchestrated drive to attract one million signatures to a worldwide petition calling on national and international leaders to move hunger to the top of the political agenda. We urge universities and colleges TO GET COMPETITIVE and individuals and groups TO BE CREATIVE! Be sure to publicize the petition – promoting it as a WFD event. During the year you can receive regular updates on the project, joining us on Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to tell us what you are doing! The Petition will be presented to world leaders at UN headquarters in October.
WFD planning is done at the community level. Individual groups can hold a special event, but the most successful observances happen when organizers work together with affiliates of national sponsors. Local coalitions, representing the diversity of national sponsors, can share ideas that will involve schools, businesses, worship centers, government offices, service groups, the media, etc.
- Increase Awareness — provide a briefing on the issues for the media; promote WFD.
- Increase Understanding — work with schools and colleges; plan a community seminar.
- Increase Information — help in coordinating a research project on community food security.
- Increase Support — hold a fund raiser for local and/or international projects
- Increase Advocacy — seek policy commitments from public officials (or candidates).
- Increase Networking — use WFD to bring together people, ideas and resources.
- Increase Year-Around Action— seek to involve people in on-going service/support.
- Increase Impact — devise a means to measure the year to year progress you are making; consider World Food Day the “annual meeting” for hunger activists
