16 October 2015: World Food Day (WFD) 2015 was marked by a series of events at the Milan Expo attended by leaders of the UN and other international organizations, under the theme ‘Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty.’ The main ceremony also marked the 70th Anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), founded in 1945 to free the world of hunger and malnutrition.
The WFD 2015 Ceremony was attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, Ertharin Cousin, World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and other leaders.
In their remarks, leaders emphasized the role of social protection for food security and nutrition as well as poverty reduction by reducing vulnerabilities of rural households and enabling them to manage risks and engage in more profitable livelihoods. They also stressed the linkages between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty eradication (Goal 1) and ending hunger (Goal 2) and all other SDGs, calling for new, broad partnerships and initiatives to make progress on all SDGs while recognizing their interlinkages.
On the sidelines of the Day, a special event considered the role of agricultural investment for food security and nutrition, in particular with regard to investments for research and extension, rural infrastructure, education, and natural resource management.
Further marking the occasion, FAO released its 2015 report on the ‘State of Food and Agriculture’ (SOFA), which focuses on how social protection can complement broader agricultural development policies and measures in efforts to achieve SDG 2.
On the eve of WFD 2015, mayors of more than 100 major cities around the world signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, which aims to make urban food systems more equitable and sustainable. The Mayors pledged to adhere to the several principles to ensure adequate food security and nutrition in urban centers: guaranteeing healthy food for all; promoting sustainability in the food system; educating the public about healthy eating; and reducing waste.
The events were held during the 2015 Universal Exposition which is being hosted by Milan, Italy, from 1 May-31 October 2015 under the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.’ [FAO Press Release WFD 2015 Ceremony] [UN Press Release on WFD] [UN Press Release on UNSG Statement] [IFAD Press Release] [WFP Press Release] [FAO WFD 2015 Website] [FAO Press Release on Investment] [IISD RS Story on State of Food and Agriculture 2015] [Publication: State of the Food and Agriculture (SOFA) Report] [FAO Press Release on Mayor’s Summit] [UN Press Release on Mayors’ Summit]