Imagine if food could talk; how many sad stories we would hear from abandoned broccoli in the fridge or forgotten apples in the fruit bowl! Every time we throw food away, it is like breaking the heart of a small tomato that dreamed of becoming a delicious sauce.
- Malnutrition, deficiency and excess
- Impacts of climate change on food security
- Nutrition, initiatives and solutions
Malnutrition, deficiency and excess
World Food Day has been celebrated on 16 October since 1979 to commemorate the founding of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) in 1945. A symbolic date that draws global attention to the challenges of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
The 2024 theme is ‘Right to Food for a Better Life and Future‘. This theme emphasises the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food to lead a healthy life.
According to the FAO, more than 820 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger, a problem often caused by a combination of poverty, conflict, natural disasters and social inequalities.
In addition, inefficiencies in distribution systems can lead to significant food waste. It is estimated that about one third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted along the supply chain, from field to fork.
It is important to remember that malnutrition is not only a matter of deficiency, but also of excess. Obesity and overweight are in fact, growing problems in many parts of the world, often linked to unbalanced diets and sedentary lifestyles.
Impacts of climate change on food security
The CLEFSA methodology, developed by the European Food Safety Authority, aims to identify and characterise the possible effects of climate change on a wide range of food safety issues.
Rising temperatures, changes in rainfall and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events directly affect agriculture, food production and the nutritional quality of crops.
These changes have a significant impact on food systems, increasing the vulnerability of communities, especially in those areas already suffering from poverty and food insecurity.
In addition, climate change may favour the establishment of invasive exotic species that damage plant and animal health.
High temperatures can also contribute to the development of pesticide resistance among pests, making their control more difficult and increasing crop losses.
For example, the increase in sea temperature and nutrients can favour the proliferation of toxic algae, contaminating seafood and, consequently, other species in our food chain.
Nutrition, initiatives and solutions
Education on proper nutrition plays a key role in shaping the eating habits and general health of individuals.
Through targeted programmes in schools and communities, knowledge of how a balanced and varied diet is essential for physical well-being can be conveyed.
Projects such as urban gardens, farmers’ markets and local agricultural cooperatives help improve access to fresh, nutritious food while promoting environmental sustainability.
For example, adopting practices such as consuming local and seasonal produce, reducing food waste and preferring food with a low environmental impact can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Agriculture, for its part, is experiencing a real digital revolution with the introduction of Agriculture 4.0, which exploits cutting-edge technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things), Big Data and artificial intelligence to optimise agricultural practices.
This new paradigm focuses onincreasing efficiency and sustainability, with the aim of addressing global challenges such as climate change and population growth.
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