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U N I T E D N A T I O N S N A T I O N S U N I E S
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
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Message on World Food Day
16 October 2012
The
world food situation continues to be cause for serious concern. Millions of small food producers -- many of
whom are women -- are struggling to cope with economic and climatic shocks, and
with high and volatile food prices. Newly
released figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, the
International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World food Programme now put the number of hungry people
worldwide at nearly 870 million -- unacceptable in a world of plenty, a world
in which, if food were distributed properly, every person would have enough to
eat.
The
theme of this year’s World Food Day, “Agricultural Cooperatives: Key to Feeding
the World”, draws inspiration from the observance of the International Year of
Cooperatives (2012). Agricultural
cooperatives play a vital role in improving food and nutrition security. Owned by their members, they can generate
employment, alleviate poverty, and empower poor and marginalized groups in
rural areas, especially women, to drive their own destinies. As enterprises with a social conscience, cooperatives
have also proven to be an effective vehicle for social inclusion, promoting
gender equality and encouraging the involvement of youth in agriculture.
The collective orientation that animates the cooperative
movement will be equally crucial in meeting the Zero Hunger Challenge, which I launched in June at the Rio+20 UN
Conference on Sustainable Development. Zero Hunger is our
vision for a world without hunger, where all food systems are sustainable and
everyone enjoys their right to food. The
great expertise of agricultural cooperatives will be invaluable in achieving
one of initiative’s primary aims: doubling the income and productivity of
smallholder farmers. We will also need
broad engagement if we are to end childhood stunting and eliminate food waste,
two other pillars of the Zero Hunger effort.
On World Food
Day, I urge all partners to join the Zero
Hunger Challenge. Collectively, we
can end hunger in our lifetime.
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