Jordan princess calls for global effort on World Food Day
Princess Basma bint Talal led Jordan’s observation of World Food Day on October 16th, according to the Arab News. The observation was in conjunction with the 79th anniversary of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization,
The year’s theme was titled “The Right to Food, for a Better Life and a Better Future,” and focused on the need to combat hunger and malnutrition. Princess Basma in a recorded address pointed out how one-third of global food production was wasted annually and one in ten of the world’s population goes suffers from hunger, according to the Jordan News Agency.
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“The world must address this crisis,” she said, calling for an approach that involved governments, the private sector, civil society, and academic institutions, alongside advocating for innovation with the agricultural sector and a need for sustainability. She claimed this would preserve land fertility, enhance global food security, and create more efficient food systems. She also called for rational consumption patterns to keep the food supply sustainable
Princess Basma praised the efforts of the FAO and the the role of other international, regional and local bodies in addressing hunger, in a sentiment echoed by Jordanian Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat. He pointed out that Jordan recognises food security as a cornerstone of national resilience through the creation of the Food Security Council, which provides data on food security and helps implement Jordan’s National Food Security Strategy.
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Nail Assaf, an FAO representative on Jordan, noted that around 730 million people suffer from hunger across the globe, while over 2.8 billion cant afford a healthy diet. Assaf called for global action to address the lack of access to diverse, nutritious and affordable food, and stressed the necessity of agricultural food systems being inclusive, sustainable and resilient while respecting both traditional food cultures and scientific knowledge.
Arab News
