ISLAMABAD: World Food Day would be observed on October 16 (Sunday) with theme ‘The climate is changing so food and agriculture must too’.
United Nations General Secretary through his message said as the global population expands, we will need to satisfy an increasing demand for food. Yet, around the world, record-breaking temperatures, rising sea levels and more frequent and severe droughts and floods caused by climate change are already affecting ecosystems, agriculture and society’s ability to produce the food we need. The most vulnerable people are world’s poorest, 70 per cent of whom depend on subsistence farming, fishing or pastoralism for income and food. On this World Food Day, UN highlight the close link between climate change, sustainable agriculture and food and nutrition security with the message that “The climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.”
Without concerted action, millions more people could fall into poverty and hunger, threatening to reverse hard-won gains and placing in jeopardy our ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Agriculture and food systems must become more resilient, productive, inclusive and sustainable. To bolster food security in a changing climate, countries must address food and agriculture in their climate action plans and invest more in rural development.
Targeted investments in these sectors will build resilience and increase the incomes and productivity of small farmers, lifting millions from poverty. They will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard the health and well-being of ecosystems and all people who depend on them.
