WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), co-chairs of the bipartisan House Food Recovery Caucus, as well as Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), co-chairs of the bipartisan House Hunger Caucus, recently reintroduced a bipartisan resolution in the U.S. House designating October 16 as World Food Day.
Each year, the United States joins 130 other nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in celebrating World Food Day to promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from chronic hunger.
“Hunger and malnutrition rates have been on the rise for years, and the pandemic has significantly exacerbated this problem here in the U.S. and around the world. Food security is a human right, and we must fight to increase access to healthy food, reduce food waste, and acknowledge the scale of the problem. That’s why I’ve introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate October 16th as World Food Day,” said Congresswoman Pingree. “The United States has a critical role in the global fight against hunger and I hope this resolution will inspire my colleagues in Congress to support programs and policies that strengthen food security around the globe.”
“America’s farmers and ranchers work around-the-clock to feed the world. In Central Washington, we are blessed with the conditions to produce such a diverse range of crops, and we are proud to share our natural abundance with the world, playing the role of ‘international supermarket,’” said Congressman Newhouse. “As we continue to grow and harvest food for the U.S. and countries around the world, we also must continue to lead in agriculture research and share our growing tools and sustainable techniques with underdeveloped and underserved nations in our mission to end world hunger. This World Food Day, we should celebrate our achievements while looking forward to the accomplishments to come.”
“Reliable access to nutritious food can help families and communities succeed today and build stronger futures,” said Congresswoman Walorski. “I’m honored to support the designation of a World Food Day and renew my commitment to addressing hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in the U.S. and across the globe. As co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, I’ll continue working on a bipartisan basis to make nutrition a priority in Congress.”
“This resolution reaffirms that America must lead the world in the struggle against hunger and malnutrition,” said Congressman McGovern. “We live in a world of plenty where local knowledge coupled with scientific advances make it possible for us to produce enough healthy food for everyone. Yet the harsh reality is that close to a billion people around the world are impacted by hunger, and the coronavirus pandemic has made things even worse. Programs like the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program, Feed the Future, Food for Peace, the Maternal and Child Nutrition Program, Food for Progress, and our own hunger safety net here at home are vital to ending hunger. But these programs alone are not enough, and we must redouble our efforts to find new, innovative ways to end hunger. Food is a human right for all people, and we have a moral obligation to act.”
It’s estimated that between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, according to FAO’s recent State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report.
The number of undernourished people in the world has been on the rise since 2015 and has reached the levels seen in 2010. Prolonged conflict, extreme weather events, and economic slowdowns and downturns are key driving factors reversing the progress made for over a decade. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic made the path toward the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to achieve zero hunger by 2030 even steeper.
World Food Day is an important opportunity to emphasize that hunger can be eradicated in our lifetime by working together. We must increase global action to achieve zero hunger: healthy and sustainable diets for a zero-hunger world.
A companion resolution in the U.S. Senate by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) was passed last week, designating Oct. 16, 2021 and 2022 as World Food Day.
To learn more about World Food Day, visit FAO’s World Food Day site.
A full text of the House resolution can be found here.
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