World Food Day 2020 will be celebrated on Friday, 16 October, with the theme Grow, Nourish, Sustain, Together.

World Food Day will be marked against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic around the world. In light of this, World Food Day 2020 will celebrate food heroes – farmers and other food system workers – who are ensuring access to food even through unprecedented disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Supporting agricultural productivity is at the heart of what we do at Self Help Africa. And although worldwide, there is enough food produced to feed everyone in the world, our food systems remain out of balance. Food is something that many of us take for granted, but just as many go without.

It’s not just the quantity of the food, but also the quality of food being produced that is important. A balanced diet is essential to help vulnerable families Self Help Africa works with, to escape hunger and poverty.

As the world continues efforts to contain COVID-19, access to safe and nutritious food must form an essential part of this response. This is especially vital for the world’s most poor and vulnerable communities, who have been the hardest hit by the economic shocks brought about by COVID.

As part of these global efforts, Self Help Africa are working with local teams, partners, government ministries and UN agencies to support efforts to curb the pandemic in the countries where we work.

World Food Day calls for global solidarity to help all populations, especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the crisis, and build back better to improve food systems. An essential part of this will be sustainable agricultural practices that preserve natural resources, and the climate.

World Food Day is commemorated annually, and promotes global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger, and the need to ensure healthy diets for all.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) designated 16 October as World Food Day in 1979.