16 October 2023 | World Food Day celebration from New York
16/10/2023
World Food Day (WFD) is a landmark international UN observance bringing a number of partners and voices together around a shared pledge of working towards a world free of hunger and one where access to healthy diets for all is guaranteed. Previous iterations of World Food Day celebrations have harnessed collective actions and events across 150 countries worldwide, convening governments, businesses, civil society organizations, the media, and the general public under one common voice and call to action.
On 16 October 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is hosting an event bringing together UN Permanent Representatives, New York City representatives and other local partners to celebrate “Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave no one behind”, highlighting the connection between urban food systems and food security, and the linkages to water. The event features speakers sharing diverse perspectives from around the globe on how to enhance the food security of local communities, and to build resilient urban food systems.
Programme
Moderator: Ms Lana Weidgenant, UN Food Systems Summit Youth Co-Chair, ProVeg
10:00 – 10:05: Performance of String Quartet of the UN Symphony Orchestra
10:05 – 10:10: Welcoming remarks: Ms. Jennifer Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer and The William C. Steere Sr. President, NYBG, and Mr. Guangzhou QU, FAO New York Liaison Office Director
10:10 – 10:50: World Food Day: Leave no one behind (2-3 minutes for each speaker)
- H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, Permanent Representative, Nepal, Chair of LDC Group
- H.E. Ms. Gladys Mokhawa, Permanent Representative, Botswana, Chair of LLDC Group
- H.E. Ms. María del Carmen Squeff, Permanent Representative, Argentina
- H.E. Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative, Republic of Guyana
- H.E. Ms. Agnes Mary Chimbiri-Molande, Permanent Representative, Republic of Malawi
- H.E. Ms. Carla María Rodríguez Mancia, Permanent Representative, Guatemala
- H.E. Mr. Gianluca Greco, Deputy Permanent Representative, Republic of Italy
- Mr. Ren Hongyan, Minister, People’s Republic of China
- Mr. Axel de la Maisonneuve, Minister Counsellor, European Union
- Mr. Jonathan Shrier, Minister Counsellor, United States of America
- Ms. Kate MacKenzie, Executive Director, New York Mayor’s Office of Food Policy
- Ms. Melissa Laudenbach, Controlled Environment Agriculture Operations and Curriculum Coordinator, NY Sun Works
10:50– 10:58: Presentation of New York #FoodHero
- Mr. Henry Obispo, ReBORN Farms
- New York Food Hero: Ms. Karen Washington, Bronx Green Up Initiative
10:58 – 11:00: Closing remarks, Ms Maria Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN Department of Economic and Social Affair