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Summary of the World Food Day events
and the activities of the World Food Day Celebration Network
in Central and Eastern Europe in 2004
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Biodiversity for Food Security
Each year on 16 October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Food Day (WFD) in commemoration of its founding on that day in 1945 at Quebec City, Canada. The theme for World Food Day and TeleFood campaign for 2004 was "Biodiversity for Food Security". It highlighted biodiversity's role in ensuring that people have sustainable access to enough high-quality food to lead active and healthy lives.
More than 840 million people remain hungry around the world and still more suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Global efforts have so far been insufficient to reach the World Food Summit and related Millennium Development goal of reducing the number of hungry by half by 2015. Biodiversity is a key ally in fighting malnutrition. Its protection is something we cannot afford to forget.
The World Food Day celebrations in European countries have multiple aims. Besides of the need and responsibility of raising the awareness of people to the increasing problem of hunger and malnutrition in the world, attention has to be paid to the protection of the sustainability and the protection of the biodiversity and the global environment. We also have to pay attention to the promotion of healthy nutrition and lifestyles from childhood in order to prevent nutrition related disorders and improve health through mobilizing the whole society with multidisciplinary activities. Concentrating our efforts to the children has special importance because in this early period of our life the habits are formed, which last throughout life.
WFD activities in CEE are carried out with the assistance FAO SEUR at local, national, regional and international level, with governmental coordination and with the participation of health and educational institutions, NGO's and individuals.
The idea behind such alliances envisions all partners working in concert, from Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Education, other government bodies, food producers and consumers to international organizations and private firms, scientists and academics as well as individuals and non-governmental organizations. It may also include donors and policymakers. Events and activities can be organized during October in relation with WFD. A central event in each participating country can be organized on 16th October. All events should include the main WFD theme -Biodiversity for Food security as a basic topic, but the local and national events should aim to call attention also to health, healthy food/diets and nutrition, as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Based on the proposal of FAO SEUR Representative and WFD Programme Coordinator on or around 16 October 2004, WFD events were organized in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia and Ukraine. The initiative aimed to give publicity to the different events and to act as a forum to share and exchange ideas. A new WFD portal was created within the and AgroWeb Network as websites, as virtual meeting place to promote WFD and TeleFood, food for all, as well as to collectively display the countries activities related to the celebrations. The actions included e.g. the organization of contests for the best fine arts, literary works and performances for children related to food security, biodiversity, hunger, healthy nutrition, healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and obesity. The celebration in some of the countries ended with a Festival of Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Promotion and an exhibition of the best artworks, performances, or food exhibition with tasting or a quiz about healthy nutrition.
These events contributed to the engagement and involvement of the whole community toward the common efforts against hunger and malnutrition, toward a healthy lifestyle and the promotion of healthy nutrition. It highlighted the importance of healthy nutrition through campaigns, provision of free assessment of nutritional status and nutrition evaluations, visits to FAO project fields, festivals, workshops, seminars, lectures and publicity through the media, press conferences, and internet based information. Video films, brochures with nutrition recommendations and guidelines and other educational materials have been prepared and disseminated. The FAO SEUR awarded several experts with FAO medals in appreciation of their efforts and work on the field of food and nutrition.
The importance of the WFD events are getting more and more important place in Central and Eastern Europe regarding the awareness rising as well as in the field of promoting healthy nutrition. We hope and believe that the results achieved will further stimulate the development of WFD network and the participation of European countries. The support of the FAO SEUR to the network is essential and highly appreciated.
For further information on these topics please contact:
Sub-regional WFD Programme Coordinator:
Dr Mirjana Pavlovic
FAO Expert TCDC/TCCT
e-mail:mirasu@eunet.yu
Annex I:
Annex II:
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