Things You Should Know On World Food Day

Food for Thought

World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on October 16th. It aims to end hunger, malnutrition and poverty. The whole word works together in solidarity towards these goals. Here are some facts everyone should know about World Food Day. There's a great need for action on World Food Day and these statistics point to the importance of this day. 

Every year, consumers in industrialized countries waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (222 million vs 230 million tons)

In the United States, 30% of all food, worth US$48.3 billion, is thrown away each year. It is estimated that about half of the water used to produce this food also goes to waste, since agriculture is the largest human use of water (Jones et al, 2004)

One in eight people in the world today are undernourished. That equals about 870 million people something like the combined population of North America and the European Union.

98% of these undernourished people live in developing countries.

Women, who make up a little more than half the world's population, account for more than 60% of the world's hungry.

Hunger poses a significant economic burden, both on individuals and nations. It has been estimated that the cost to developing nations to tackle the hungry is around $450 billion every year.

In India some 190 million people are being fed with grain produced by overpumping groundwater. For China, there are 130 million on the same boat.

In Nigeria, 27% of families experience foodless day. In India it is 24%, in Peru it is 14%

Stay tuned for more updates on World Food Day.

Until then,

Your Foodista