The Secretary General of the United Nation Organization, António Guterres has called for effective collaboration to build food systems to nourish the people and protect the planet.
He said this during the 45th World Food Day, commemorating the 80th Food and Agriculture Organization Day of the United Nations with the theme: “Hand in Hand for better Food for Better Future” at the forecourt of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Accra.
Delivering the speech on behalf of the Secretary General, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Zia Choudhury said this year’s World Food Day theme is a call for solidarity across borders, sectors and communities. This echoed the priority voice by countries under the food systems summit in July, and the United Nations call to action which identifies the six key areas.
According to him, there are tools, knowledge and resources to end hunger and provide good healthy food to all, however, what is needed is unity, therefore the call to action.
“Today, around the world, 673 million people still go to bed hungry every night. Many more face daily uncertainty about their next meal,” he read.
Shamefully, hunger is being weaponized. We face the appalling reality of people in conflict situations starving, with famine taking hold. This year’s World Food Day theme, Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future, is a call for solidarity across borders, sectors, and communities.
Sec. Gen acknowledged in his speech slow pace of global progress and the retrogression of some regions. He mentioned that new challenges have emerged over the decades from soaring obesity into climate shocks threatening food insecurity.
Bridging it to Ghana’s contribution to the food systems, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Zia Choudhury extols Ghana for her delicious delicacies contributing to the food systems.
He commended women for running all the food systems across the world and giving emphases on the commitment and the dedication that women exhibit from the farm till the food gets to the table for consumption.
“Thank you for working together to build Ghana where every child can go to bed with full tummy, can go to school with full tummy and can come home and realized that they don’t have to worry about food in the next day either,” he added.
