It’s World Food Day!
We can all bring something to the table and make a difference in the fight to end hunger.
There's a good reason today, October 16, is the observation of World Food Day. Although modern society is fully capable of eliminating hunger and fueling sustainable development, more than one in eight people is undernourished. So what's the missing link? In a world so abundant, why do such disparate facts exist?
The answer, put simply, is in the math. Of the more than 800 million hungry people in the world, 70 percent of them live in rural areas. Agriculture is the economic mainstay in such places, but the economic odds are stacked against small local farmers. That's where co-ops come in; according to World Food Day organizers (and practically everyone else involved in the conversation), "in agriculture, forestry, fishing and livestock [co-ops], members participate in production, profit-sharing, cost-saving, risk-sharing and income-generating activities, which lead to better bargaining power for members as buyers and sellers in the marketplace."
To support the formation of co-ops to combat hunger around the world -- to raise funds, spread awareness, or spearhead the support efforts of a campus, company or farmer's market, the World Food Day website has all the resources you need. Each of us can bring something to the table; what will your contribution be?
In a nutshell
On October 16th, people across the U.S. and Canada are observing World Food Day in a collective action against hunger. Its widespread events and awareness campaigns highlight the problem of hunger at home and around the world while sharing the tools we have at our disposal that can help us eradicate hunger in our lifetime.
