16 October 2020, Rome - At the global World Food Day ceremony today, speakers called for a sustainable transformation of food systems, which can only be achieved if the enjoyment of right to adequate food.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO), QU Dongyu, said in his opening remarks: “We have learned to see the fight against hunger as inseparable from other development goals. We have learned that ending hunger cannot be achieved in a void, but rather in conjunction with the pursuit of justice, of rights and equality in all fields, among all humans”.

“We firmly believe that basic Human rights include the right to food and commit to its fulfilment”, outlined Italy's President Sergio Mattarella. “An adequate and balanced diet should be within the reach of all. Food, with its ancient and inextricable link with cultures, traditions and the land, should be seen as a noble cause”, he added.

Pope Francis underlined that food production is not enough to feed people. Food must be accessible, nutritious and accessible for everyone.

UN's Secretary General referred to the Nobel Prize for Peace to the World Food Programme, which is a recognition to the right of all people to food. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals means that everyone, everywhere, has access to the nutrition they need.

"The nutritional status of the most vulnerable populations groups is likely to deteriorate further as a result of the destructive health and social economic impact of COVID-19," warned King Letsie III of Lesotho.

The event also counted with the participation of Queen Letizia of Spain, a country that is strongly committed to the right to adequate food through several initiatives such as the Right to Food Watch (ODA-E) and the Parliamentary Fronts. “Healthy food is a right of everyone”, and we need to promote food that is sufficient, diversified, of good quality, and affordable for the consumer and the producer, she urged.

Grow, nourish, and sustain. Together.

This year´s World Food Day marks the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

It called for global solidarity to help all populations, and especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the COVID-19, and to make food systems more resilient and robust so they can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable healthy diets for all, and decent livelihoods for food system workers. 

This World Food Day also honours all food heroes, who - despite all difficulties - continue to provide food to their communities and beyond. Among them, parliamentarians in Europe and other regions of the world who have formed alliances to step up efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition globally, while raising awareness on the right to food and the transformation of food systems. They are legislative food heroes.