World Food Day

Around the world, 45 million people – around half of them children – are at risk of starvation. Hungry families do desperate things to survive, often making children more vulnerable to challenges such as child marriage, child labour, child soldier recruitment and missing out on an education. These exploitative experiences have devastating effects on girls and boys.

World Vision supports this important day which raises awareness of hunger and promotes a more sustainable future of food. Learn more about how we're helping children access nutritious food and how you can get involved.

What is World Food Day?

World Food Day is a global initiative observed annually.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation founded World Food Day in 1979, and today, it's celebrated annually across 150 countries. As one of the most high-profile days in the United Nations calendar, every year, a large wealth of events take place at all levels to mark the day.

When is World Food Day?

World Food Day 2024 is on 16 October.

There is a significant reason that October 16th was designated, and this is because it's the date that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation was originally founded in 1945. Since then, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (or FAO as they are often referred to) has been leading global efforts to end world hunger, improve food security and improve global nutrition.

What is this year’s World Food Day theme?

The theme for World Food Day 2024 is yet to be announced, by the 2023 theme was "Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind".

The impact water has on global food production is staggering - although water covers around 71% of the Earth's surface, only 2.5% of all water is fresh and, therefore, suitable for drinking and agriculture. The theme of this year's event was chosen to highlight how significant the impact of water is on food systems.

Every year since 1981, a theme is highlighted in order to concentrate its efforts and provide a common focus for World Food Day activities. Examples of past themes include "Women in Agriculture", "Food and the Environment", "Biodiversity and Food Security", "Our Actions Are Our Future, Ending World Hunger by 2023 is Possible", and most recently in 2022, "Leave NO ONE behind".

READ MORE: World Water Week

How World Vision is helping hungry children

For over 70 years, we have worked at a global level to provide food assistance in hunger hotspots. Our work helps to ensure that children living in poverty are able to enjoy healthy diets and are free from food insecurity. As well as delivering nutritious food to those in vulnerable communities, we work with communities to help them learn sustainable farming efforts and create long-term change.

Children like Aimé, from Burundi

Aimé's mother left when he was only three-months-old after a dispute with her husband. Soon after, his father passed Aimé around family members until he landed in the care of his grandmother, Melanie. 

Aimé started losing weight and recurrently getting sick due to lack of breast milk. In a mass screening carried out in their village, he was diagnosed with acute malnutrition, weighing 2.4kg at 10-months-old. Melanie was advised to take Aimé to World Vision to seek support. They were greeted with compassion by Violette, a World Vision staff member who provided powdered milk and helped Melanie learn how to grow vegetables.

Now, Aimé is a healthy three-year-old who is full of energy, and Melanie is grateful to World Vision for helping him recover and teaching her about growing nutritious food.

Together, we can transform lives

We can only make the difference we make thanks to our amazing supporters. Through donations and child sponsorship, we are able to support communities who need it the most and changes lives for the better. As a Christian charity, we want to support children of all faiths and none to fulfil their potential, whether that’s through fighting hunger or ending period poverty.