Ottawa-A recently released State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 (SOFI) report says one out of every 11 people around the world faced chronic hunger in 2023, says Jocelyn Brown Hall, Director of the North American division of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO is working diligently with its partners to address the root causes of the persistently and unacceptably high levels of global hunger and malnutrition, Hall said. Causes of the food shortages such as conflicts and climate change are unwieldy topics that may seem beyond the ability of concerned individuals to positively impact.

“One important climate solution, however, is directly within our control,” she said. “Dramatically cutting food loss and waste, in particular the food that is wasted at the household level, is directly within our grasp. Together, food loss and waste account for 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. According the 2024 UNEP Food Waste Index Report, the world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food in 2022, equivalent to almost 20 percent of food available to consumers. That equates to one billion meals of edible food wasted in households worldwide every single day.”

Hall said that everyone from food producers to food supply chain participants to retailers to consumers can help reduce food waste. “As informed consumers, we can change our individual behavior to dramatically cut food waste and contribute to a sustainable food secure future for all. The fifth observance International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is Sept. 27.”

Hall noted that Sarah Cahill, Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, recently visited the FAO North America office in Washington as part of celebrations for Codex and the commitment to continued collaboration among the U.S., the European Union and FAO. “While not everyone is familiar with Codex, this international Food Code impacts every one of our lives daily by creating international food standards, protecting consumer health and removing barriers to trade.”

World Food Day will be marked on Oct. 16 this year and its theme will be The Right to Foods, which advocates that “the foods that feed us need to take into account diversity, nutrition, affordability, accessibility as well as safety and sustainability. Over 2.8 billion people are still unable to afford a healthy diet.” For World Food Day, FAO “is emphasizing that the right to the foods, which meet all of these pillars, is crucial for a better life and a better future for all,” Hall said.

This news item prepared for National Newswatch