World Food Day

Barton Lu

“Sik fan lah!”

All around the world, children groan as their mothers and fathers urge them out of their bedrooms to have dinner. Around the dinner table, mothers bargain with grumpy children to eat more vegetables so they can “grow strong,” and fathers shove pieces of meat down children’s throats.

This is the rosy image that World Food Day envisions for everyone. Founded in 1981 by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, World Food Day is celebrated every 16th of October, with the fervent dream of a nourished world and a healthy, sustainable food system. Yearly themes in the past have ranged from “Women Feed the World,” to “Climate is Changing. Food and Agriculture Must Too.” This year’s theme is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.”

What does this theme mean for all of us this year? COVID-19 hardly needs to be introduced. It has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and food is no different. The UN estimates that upwards to 132 million people may go hungry in 2020 due to COVID-19. In Canada alone, a survey done in May by Statistics Canada found that 14.6% of Canadians are food insecure. Those suffering are not far away in Asia or Africa. They are your neighbours.

But in the face of destitution, there are always heroes who emerge. These ordinary citizens, dubbed “Food Heroes” by the United Nations, have worked to provide nourishing food during COVID-19. Although the Arzu Women’s Group in Azerbaijan was not able to sell as much meat or produce due to the pandemic, they brought light to a seemingly bleak situation and donated the excess to those in need in their village. On the other side of the world in America, Soul Fire Farm (a BIPOC-centred farm that aims to end racism in the food system) has helped deliver food to vulnerable populations.

While not all of us are farmers, we can still embody the same values as these Food Heroes, by growing our own produce, supporting local farms, and volunteering at local food banks. With the combined efforts of our Food Heroes and each individual, we can look towards a day where all children may have the privilege to groan when hearing “sik fan lah!”