18 September 2023
World Food Day, on 16 October, is about promoting worldwide awareness of hunger and promoting action for the future of food, people and the planet. In 2023, the focus is on taking water action in support of food systems.
The World Food Day 2023 campaign, coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), calls for increased water use efficiency in the production of food, animal feed and biofuel, while ensuring water is distributed equally, aquatic food systems are safeguarded, and nobody is left behind.
Agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals. Rapid population growth, urbanization, economic development, and climate change are putting the planet’s water resources under increasing stress. Water availability and quality are deteriorating fast due to decades of poor use and management, over extraction of groundwater, pollution and climate change.
Sustainable, efficient and equitable water resources management is essential for the future of food, people, and the planet. We can all start by taking action in our personal lives, by choosing local, seasonal, and fresh foods, and reducing food waste.
- Find out how you can take action for World Food Day here.