World Food Day 2023: Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind

World Food Day is celebrated on 16 October annually to recognise the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s founding date in 1945. The day aims to bring awareness to how our changing planet affects food production and distribution.

Organisations celebrating World Food Day include those concerned with food security and hunger, like the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

The 2023 theme is ‘water is life; water is food. Leave no one behind.’ It aims to remind us of the importance of water and how it impacts what we eat and how we produce food. Water is a precious resource; however, it is not infinite. As such, we should stop taking it for granted and look at ways to address water challenges.

What role can you play?

What we eat, and food production processes affect water. However, we can improve how we use water daily by following simple but intentional steps.

Reduce wasting food: Food production (farm to table) requires a lot of water. So, wasted food can equate to wasted water. You can help reduce food wastage by buying what you need, using a shopping list to improve meal planning, and reusing leftovers in a new recipe. If you have space, composting your scraps is also an option.

Eat fresh foods: Fresh food products are generally healthier and require less water to produce than heavily processed foods and beverages. Eating a balanced diet helps maintain good health and supports conserving biodiversity and environmental health.

Practice water conservation: You can conserve water by fixing leaking pipes, not allowing the tap to run, and taking shorter showers. Other conservation practices include collecting rainwater or reusing unsalted water from boiled vegetables to water your plants. (Visit here) Using water-saving techniques can save money, and conserving helps save energy.

Avoid polluting water: Reducing pollution benefits our environment and helps keep our aquatic food systems healthy. Avoid pouring oils, chemicals, food waste, and medicines down the drain. Also, regularly cleaning and emptying your septic tank can help prevent drainage issues.

Clean up: When you participate in clean-ups of local rivers, beaches, seas, or wetlands, you help to reduce pollution. Clean-up programmes and initiatives also help to educate communities about the importance of keeping ecosystems healthy.

We can help create a better and more sustainable food future for everyone. Make World Food Day your day by sharing #WorldFoodDay with your social media posts outlining practices that help spread awareness.

You can also use Find Yello to search for local organisations focusing on food security, eliminating hunger, reducing pollution and related services.

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Awareness Days.