World Food Day tomorrow

ASTANA. KAZINFORM World Food Day 2017 takes place on 16th October in the context of a world where more people have been forced to flee their homes than at any time since World War II due to increased conflict and political instability, according to the UN food agency, FAO, WAM News Agency reports.

''Global hunger, which is on the rise for the first time in decades, poverty, and an increase in extreme weather events linked to climate change are other important factors contributing to the migration challenge,'' FAO said on the eve of the international celebration tomorrow.

FAO is working with governments, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society and local communities, to generate evidence on migration patterns and is building countries' capacities to address migration through rural development policies. It supports governments and partners as they explore the developmental potential of migration, especially in terms of food security and poverty reduction.

The Director-General of FAO Jose Graziano da Silva will be joined by Pope Francis and Ministers of Agriculture attending the Group of Seven, G7, meetings for the official ceremony on 16 October at FAO Headquarters.

Pope Francis will deliver the keynote speech at the ceremony which addresses the theme, 'Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development'.

The FAO publication, 'Towards Zero Hunger', which explores FAO's efforts to end hunger and malnutrition over the past 72 years, will also be launched during the event.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017 report says that ''There is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone, yet 815 million people go hungry. As reflected in Sustainable Development Goal 2, one of the greatest challenges the world faces is how to ensure that a growing global population - projected to rise to around 10 billion by 2050 - has enough food to meet their nutritional needs."

The report went on to say that to feed another two billion people in 2050, food production will need to increase by 50 percent.