The official World Food Day theme, announced each spring by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), gives focus to World Food Day observances and raises awareness and understanding of approaches to ending hunger.
“Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world” is the formal wording of the 2012 theme. It has been chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger. There is broad agreement that smallholders will provide much of the extra food needed to feed more than nine billion people by 2050. One of the necessary steps to achieving food security is to support and invest in cooperatives, producer organizations and other rural institutions.
The considerable interest in cooperatives and rural organizations is reflected, also, in the resolution taking by the UN General Assembly to designate 2012 as the “International Year of Cooperatives”. It is for this reason that cooperatives make up the focal point of this year's World Food Day.
In view of the continued rise of the prices of basic commodities, on which the family depends, the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) is keen to assign this day for shining light on the awareness actions and procedures necessary for alleviating the potential health problems caused by the food crisis.
Internationally Approved Date: 16/10/2012
Locally Approved Date: 30/11/1433H
Theme of the World Food Day:
“Agricultural Cooperatives: Key to Feeding the World”
Targeted Categories:
- Parents and all family members.
- Low-income families.
- Workers in the social work institutions relevant to the social status of families.
- Workers in the field of health awareness and guidance.
Objectives and General Messages of the World Food Day:
- To heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world.
- To encourage attention to agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to this end.
- To promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world.
- To enhance international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.
- To encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged categories, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions.
- To encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries.
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