"Something is very wrong with a world in which hunger and malnutrition are a fact of life for billions of children, women and men" - Guterres

“The world is facing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions,” António Guterres said. “More than 700 million people are going hungry, and the climate crisis, conflicts, and inequality are deepening this challenge. We must act now to transform our food systems to make them more sustainable, equitable, and resilient.”

On his message for World Food Day UN Secretary_General António Guterres emphasized that "Something is very wrong with a world in which hunger and malnutrition are a fact of life for billions of children, women and men."

"On World Food Day, we remind ourselves of the 733 million people who are short of food because of conflict, marginalization, climate change, poverty and economic downturns — including those who face the threat of manmade famine in Gaza and Sudan. Or the 2.8 billion people who cannot afford a healthy diet — including those who are overweight as global obesity rates soar" he added.

Secretary General reminded in his message that a zero-hunger world is possible and the 2021 Food Systems Summit set us on a course to tackle the inefficiencies and inequities built into our food systems. 

"Food systems need a massive transformation, with the contributions of businesses, academics, research institutions and civil society, to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Governments must work with all partners to incentivize the production and sale of healthy, nutritious food at affordable prices" he continued. 

Secretary-General called everyone to step up the fight against hunger and malnutrition. "Let’s take action to uphold the right to food for a better life and a better future" he concluded his message. 

World Food Day, observed annually on October 16, serves as a reminder of the importance of food security and the ongoing global effort to end hunger.