Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth
Farms.com October 16, 2014 is World Food Day and the theme for this year is to remember and appreciate the family farm. While farmers in North America may be experiencing a number of challenges in 2014, farmers in the US and Canada live in very different circumstances compared to their counterparts in other parts of the world. World Food Day is celebrated throughout the world and is a reminder that we all need to work towards ensuring food security for all of the people on the planet.
The theme “Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth” is meant to support more than 500 million farm families by encouraging environmental and sustainable development. Many of these groups have limited access to resources that could have a direct and valuable impact on development, the goal of World Food Day and its theme is to ensure governments are aware of their situation and the potential in these family farms to end world hunger.
It is estimated that about 70 percent of individuals who are family farmers suffer from malnutrition, hunger or live with no food security. Many of these farmers do not having enough crop yields to feed and maintain themselves or their families. The theme means to bring about real change for these individuals, to bring awareness to their struggle, and to advocate on their behalf.
The ultimate goal for World Food Day is to achieve food security for all individuals and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have outlined three ways to accomplish this.
- Eliminate food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition
- Eradicate the cycle of poverty and move forward through social and economic progress
- Ensure farmers use their resources in a sustainable, effective and environmentally safe manner
The purpose of World Food Day on October 16, 2014 is to remind ourselves and the world that family farms are vital to providing healthy nutritious food and ending the cycle of poverty and hunger. Be sure to use social media to remind others of this important day, and encourage discussion about the continued importance of farming in the 21st century.