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.

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What is World Food Day?

World Food Day is a global initiative observed annually.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation founded International 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, a wealth of events take place at all levels every year to mark the day.

When is World Food Day?

World Food Day 2024 is on 16 October.

October 16 was designated for a significant reason: 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 it is 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 "Right to foods for a better life and a better future".

This aims to highlight the immediate and long-term benefits of prioritising access to safe and nutritious food for all.

Every year since 1981, a theme as been highlighted to concentrate efforts and provide a common focus for National Food Day activities. In 2023, the theme focused on the impact water has on global food production: "Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind." 

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How World Vision is helping hungry children

For over 70 years, we have worked globally 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. In addition to 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, following 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 a 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 incredible supporters. Through donations and child sponsorship, we are able to support communities who need it the most and change 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.