World food Day is celebrated each year on October 16th. The theme for 2010 is United Against Hunger. The theme was chosen to recognize the efforts made in the fight against world hunger at national, regional and international levels. This year as food prices are rising and more people than ever are hungry, World Food Day takes on a greater meaning.
In 2009, the critical threshold of one billion hungry people in the world was reached. This includes people in our own province - those who can not get the amount and variety of food they need to lead active and happy lives. This is ironic since we grow so much food in our province.
By 2050 the world's population will be 9 billion people. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), states that over the next 40 years, food production will have to increase by 70 percent. During the past 50 years, there have been huge gains in farming. Crop yields have increased. There are new crop varieties that are resistant to disease and pests. Tillage and seeding practices reduce soil erosion. But still crops depend on the sun, temperature and the right amount of water.
Agriculture is facing new challenges. Expanding food production on a big enough scale to meet future demand needs to balance with the need to ensure that practices make use of the right kind of policies and the right amount of technologies and approaches to complement nature. Developing an "ecosystem approach" will help to ensure that increased production occurs in a sustainable way.
Change in climate on a global scale will have effects on local farming and in turn the world's food supply.
One effect of climate change is that the areas where crops grow have moved north towards the poles.
The balance of food supply is rapidly shifting from too much to not enough. How will global warming, changing oil prices and high biofuel use change food supply and food security, especially in developing countries?
For most people, global issues like world hunger, climate change and sustainable food production can seem too big to tackle. The motto "think globally, act locally" can help us to think about actions we can take as individual, families and communities. Learning to use available land to grow food; supporting local initiatives such as collective kitchen, community gardens and alternative food distribution systems are ways that we can help to improve food security and food sustainability in our communities.
Written by the Public Health Nutritionists of Saskatchewan and supported by Public Health, Sunrise Health Region.
If you have any comments please contact: Heather Torrie, Public Health Nutritionist, Sunrise Health Region, 150 Independent Street, Yorkton, Sask. S3N 0S7 or phone: 786-0600.
