World Food Day 2025 highlights global commitment to the right to food
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©FAO
16/10/2025
Rome – This year’s World Food Day was nothing short of remarkable for the right to food at FAO, as the human right to adequate food stood at the forefront of the ceremony held at FAO Headquarters in Rome.
Speeches delivered by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, and numerous government representatives — including Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain — converged around one core conviction: ending hunger is not merely a development priority but a universal right and an ethical duty.
Opening the ceremony, the FAO Director-General stated: “Your presence here today is a true reflection that hunger knows no borders, and that the challenge of food security demands unity among nations. The world’s leaders and people everywhere must come together united by our collective belief that the right to food is a basic human right, and that peace is a prerequisite for food security.” He later emphasized that “food security cannot be achieved without dignity.”
This year’s theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” underscored the need to reinforce cooperation at all levels. The day carried added significance as FAO celebrated 80 years since its founding in 1945, reflecting decades of work to transform agrifood systems through rights-based approaches and collective action.
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV called on nations to strengthen solidarity, noting that “only by working together we can ensure that food security is reaffirmed as a right, not a privilege.” Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon added a compelling reminder: “Food is not only a human right, it is the foundation of human dignity and peace.”
Spain reaffirmed its strong engagement. Her Majesty Queen Letizia highlighted that “It is essential to consider food as a human right – the right to sustainable, healthy and adequate food… Spain is fully committed to FAO, promoting and supporting the right to food.”
Celebrated each year on 16 October, World Food Day serves as a moment to renew our global responsibility to safeguard natural resources, uphold those who produce food, and strengthen the systems that ensure nourishment reaches every community. Created through a United Nations resolution in 1979 and first commemorated in 1981, it has grown into one of the UN’s most widely observed international days, uniting more than 150 countries in activities and awareness efforts.
The celebrations also featured Food Futures: Conversations for a Better World, an energetic dialogue exploring transformation through FAO’s Four Betters. As part of the World Food Forum, the day brought together youth, governments, scientists, investors, farmers and Indigenous leaders to design practical pathways for nourishing, sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.
World Food Day 2025 reaffirmed a clear message: securing the right to food for all is essential to shaping a peaceful and thriving future — and this shared future depends on collective action today.
Speeches delivered by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, and numerous government representatives — including Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain — converged around one core conviction: ending hunger is not merely a development priority but a universal right and an ethical duty.
Opening the ceremony, the FAO Director-General stated: “Your presence here today is a true reflection that hunger knows no borders, and that the challenge of food security demands unity among nations. The world’s leaders and people everywhere must come together united by our collective belief that the right to food is a basic human right, and that peace is a prerequisite for food security.” He later emphasized that “food security cannot be achieved without dignity.”
This year’s theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” underscored the need to reinforce cooperation at all levels. The day carried added significance as FAO celebrated 80 years since its founding in 1945, reflecting decades of work to transform agrifood systems through rights-based approaches and collective action.
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV called on nations to strengthen solidarity, noting that “only by working together we can ensure that food security is reaffirmed as a right, not a privilege.” Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon added a compelling reminder: “Food is not only a human right, it is the foundation of human dignity and peace.”
Spain reaffirmed its strong engagement. Her Majesty Queen Letizia highlighted that “It is essential to consider food as a human right – the right to sustainable, healthy and adequate food… Spain is fully committed to FAO, promoting and supporting the right to food.”
Celebrated each year on 16 October, World Food Day serves as a moment to renew our global responsibility to safeguard natural resources, uphold those who produce food, and strengthen the systems that ensure nourishment reaches every community. Created through a United Nations resolution in 1979 and first commemorated in 1981, it has grown into one of the UN’s most widely observed international days, uniting more than 150 countries in activities and awareness efforts.
The celebrations also featured Food Futures: Conversations for a Better World, an energetic dialogue exploring transformation through FAO’s Four Betters. As part of the World Food Forum, the day brought together youth, governments, scientists, investors, farmers and Indigenous leaders to design practical pathways for nourishing, sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.
World Food Day 2025 reaffirmed a clear message: securing the right to food for all is essential to shaping a peaceful and thriving future — and this shared future depends on collective action today.