ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Like in other parts of the world, the 35th World Food Day would be celebrated in Pakistan on Friday October 16, to create awareness on the issue of hunger and help develop strategies for ensuring food security.
This year, the theme of the World Food Day is “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty,” which aims to sensitize the people about eradicating rural poverty and ensuring food protection for all.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945, FAO sources said adding each year it is celebrated by more than 150 countries worldwide.
In Islamabad, the day will be marked by day long activities including international conference at National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), jointly organized by various organizations related to food and agriculture, an official of Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) said.
“The event has been organized by various organizations including MNFS&R, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), FAO, World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD),” he said.
The Federal Minister for NFS&R, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan will participate in the event as Chief Guest while among others, high officials of MNFS&R, PARC, FAO, WFP, IFAD, USAID, ICARDA, CIMMYT, AVRDC and other organizations related to food and agriculture would take part in the organizations.
The World Food Day would provide a unique opportunity to send a strong message to young people-the Zero Hunger Generation-on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to engage them in the challenge of sustainably eradicating hunger and poverty over the next 15 years, FAO said.
Falling in an opportune moment, just after the Summit in September 2015 and before the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21), World Food Day promises to be one of Expo’s most important events.
APP