FAO/Temur Bartava

On October 16, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Committee on Agrarian Affairs at the Parliament of Georgia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the City Hall of Zugdidi Municipality, marked the World Food Day in Zugdidi, Samegrelo region of Georgia.

World Food Day – the anniversary of the FAO foundation - is one of the most celebrated days in the UN calendar and is marked in about 150 countries every year. This year, the main message of the World Food Day is to protect water as a vital resource which is the driving force of people, nature and economy, and the foundation of food, while freshwater is not an infinite resource.

Farmers' agricultural exhibition and market, wheat and bread exhibition, information corners about food safety as well as food losses and waste, and educational activities for children were organized in Zugdidi at the courtyard of the Dadiani Palace to mark the World Food Day with the main theme Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No one Behind. The day was closed by a concert with the participation of local artists.

At the agricultural market, farmers presented local products, including dairy products, honey, dried fruit, Georgian bread and various niche produce. In the information corners, the guests were introduced to the updates about the food chain and meat products traceability system in Georgia, as well as the reduction of food waste and donation. In partnership with the "Caucasus Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations Network (CENN)," an educational program and game was organized for children, which was related to water resources and their protection. At the event a short documentary about Food Hero from Georgia was also screened. Every year, as part of the World Food Day, FAO names Food Heroes from the FAO member Countries. This year the Food Hero from Georgia is a FAO beneficiary farmer Avtandil Marakvelidze who has successfully implemented sustainable and climate smart water management systems in his farm.  The day was closed with a short program performed by the local folk singers.

The FAO event was attended by representatives of the Government, Parliament, European Union Delegation, Swiss Cooperation Office, Austrian Development Agency and other development partners as well as the representatives of private and public sector of Georgia.

“At FAO we are deeply committed to promoting responsible water use in agricultural and food systems which is central to achieving what we refer to as the Four Betters – Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life. To achieve these goals, the governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society must work together and invest in integrated water resources management for sustainable development; ensure equitable, sustainable, and economically beneficial water use;  equip our farmers, livestock producers, fisher folks and foresters with the right tools for sustainable water management. We must all recognize and value water for the food it produces and the planet it nourishes,” said Raimund Jehle, FAO Representative in Georgia.   

"It is symbolic that this year we are focusing on water resources and on this day we are meeting with the law on water resources management adopted by the parliament. The purpose of this law is to create legal basis for the management of water resources in the country, which ensures the implementation of an unified state policy in the field of protection and use of water resources, the right of citizens to access clean water, the creation of a safe environment for human health and life, and in accordance with the principles of integrated management, the protection of water resources and sustainable use," said Nino Tsilosani, the Chair of the Committee on Agrarian Affairs at the Parliament of Georgia.

"We celebrate the World Food Day every year in different regions together with local farmers. We all understand importance of the massage of the World Food Day 2023. Water is a resource without which life would be impossible. We must take care of water and acknowledge that we need to protect this resource", said the First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, Nino Tandilashvili.

World Food Day: "Water is Life, Water is Food"

Every year, as part of the World Food Day, the governments, civil sector, business sector, media, public and youth come together to spread important messages related to food security.

Water is Life, Water is Food - with this message, FAO intends to raise awareness about one of the planet's most important resources: water covers the largest part of the planet's surface, makes up almost 50 percent of the body, and is crucial while achieving sustainable development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the 2030 Agenda.

However, freshwater is not an finite resource. Unless we take urgent measures, we are on course to increase our water use by more than a third by 2050 globally, given our planet’s growing population that means, collectively, we risk reaching a point of no return. Making informed decisions when purchasing products, wasting less water, and preventing flooding disasters and pollution are among the ways we can contribute to saving water and helping the planet. These activities are also central to achieve better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life.