Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.)—co-chairs of the House Food Recovery Caucus—as well as Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.)—co-chairs of the House Hunger Caucus—have together introduced House Resolution 632, designating today, October 16, 2019, as World Food Day. 

Each year, the United States joins 130 other nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in celebrating World Food Day to promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from chronic hunger.

“For decades, worldwide hunger and malnutrition rates were going down, but that is not the case anymore. We live in a time when 820 million people across the globe do not have enough to eat, yet the rate of food-related diseases have never been higher. In order to address the epidemic before us, we must acknowledge the scale of the problem. That’s why I’ve introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate October 16^th as World Food Day,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

“American farmers and ranchers work hard every day to feed the world. Agriculture producers in Washington state provide access to high-quality fruit, vegetables, wheat, and wine to our local and international markets, including our partners in the Pacific Rim nations and both North and South America. As we continue to grow and harvest food for the U.S. and countries around the world, we also must continue to lead in agriculture research and share our growing tools and sustainable techniques with underdeveloped and underserved nations in our mission to end world hunger,” said Congressman Dan Newhouse.

“We live in a world of abundance, yet hundreds of millions of people do not have enough to eat,” said Congressman McGovern. “It does not have to be this way. Adequate food ought to be a fundamental human right, and every nation – including the United States – can and must do more to address the root causes driving global hunger: war, conflict, natural disaster, and climate change. This is a problem that we can solve in our lifetime. We know what needs to be done. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 is within reach if we work together and act now. A world without hunger is possible in our lifetime – and I am proud to support World Food Day so we can raise awareness, promote action, and build the political will to end hunger once and for all.”

“Hunger and malnutrition affect families and communities around the world, and there is bipartisan agreement that we need to take action to address these issues both at home and abroad. As co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, I’m honored to support the designation of a World Food Day so we can bring attention to the importance of agriculture and science-based innovations that play a key role in improving nutrition and strengthening health and wellness,” said Congresswoman Jackie Walorski.

Background on Global Hunger and World Food Day

Worldwide, over 820 million people—one out every nine people—suffer from chronic undernourishment, according to FAO’s recent State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 report. 

The number of undernourished people in the world has been on the rise since 2015 and has reached the levels seen in 2010. Prolonged conflict and extreme weather events are key driving factors reversing the progress made for over a decade. Additionally, many countries experience the double burden of hunger and obesity. Rapidly increasing obesity levels now affect one in eight adults or more than 670 million people in the world, according to FAO. 

World Food Day 2019 is an important opportunity to emphasize that hunger and obesity can be eradicated in our lifetime by working together. This year’s theme calls for an increase in global action to achieve zero hunger: healthy and sustainable diets for a zero hunger world.

To learn more about World Food Day, visit FAO’s World Food Day site.

A full text of the resolution can be found here.

Posted in full from Pingree.House.gov