World Food Day creating an "International Alliance Against Hunger"

The creation of a global partnership to reduce poverty and stop hunger through concrete actions is the call being made through this year's World Food Day Theme "International Alliance Against Hunger".

The World Food Day (WFD) which is commemorated on 16 October of each year marks the date of the foundation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This year FAO celebrates its 58th anniversary with the goal that "food for all" should become a human right for present and future generations.

During this year's WFD a series of exhibits, debates and ceremonies are being organized at FAO headquarters. Rome-based food agencies WFP and IFAD, as well as IPGRI and other Italian institutions and NGOs will participate in an exhibit on the WFD theme "International Alliance Against Hunger" showcasing the activities in which people have managed to bring together the strengths of many to successfully fight hunger and poverty.

A roundtable of FAO Ambassadors will also take place on 15 October 2003 to discuss ways of raising public awareness and concrete actions to end hunger in the world. On 16 October, the president of Uruguay, Jorge Batlle will be the keynote speaker for the central WFD ceremony and a CSO-NGO debate will be held that same day in the afternoon.

Despite increased world food production, according to FAO estimates, some 840 million people are still chronically hungry in the world. Although many nations have made verbal commitments to fight hunger and poverty, few have converted those commitments into renewed and concerted action. We now have the techniques and the resources to get rid of hunger. The deficit is in human solidarity and political will. The creation of an Alliance seeks to create this political will and bring together the strength of different groups to decrease and ultimately eliminate hunger in the world.

For more information related to this year's World Food Day you can:

• visit the WFD website where you can download the 4 page-presentation leaflet prepared for the 2003 WFD on the IAAH.
• read the interview of Ms. Eva Clayton, Special Advisor to the Director General of FAO on the World Food Summit Follow-up in charge of the promotion and monitoring of the International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH) published in the June update of our Website.
• read the interview of Mr Jacques Bertrand, Head of Global Issues in Caritas Internationalis about the collaboration between FAO and Caritas in the framework of the IAAH published in the August update of our Website
.