– supporting ‘food heroes’, farmers throughout food system

AS part of this year’s celebration of Agriculture Month and World Food Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is partnering with the Agriculture Ministry to host several activities, one of which is the ‘World Food Day Exhibition’ on October 16.

According to FAO representative in Guyana, Gillian Smith, the COVID-19 global health crisis has been a time to reflect on the things that are cherished.
World Food Day (WFD) 2020 also marks FAO’s 75th anniversary. The focus is captured in the theme “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future”.
World Food Day and FAO75 are aligned with the spirit of the UN’s 75th commemoration, also occurring also this year.

COVID-19, Smith said, has exposed individual and common vulnerabilities, but it has also demonstrated resolve and resilience.
Highlighting that food is the essence of life and the bedrock of cultures and communities, the FAO representative said preserving access to safe and nutritious food is and will continue to be an essential part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Particularly, she said for poor and vulnerable communities, who are hardest hit by the pandemic and resulting economic shocks.
“In a moment like this, it is more important to support our food heroes– farmers and workers– throughout the food system who are making sure that food makes its way from farm to table even amid disruptions posed by the current COVID-19 crisis,” she said.

Ensuring that COVID-19 impact on food security and agricultural livelihoods are addressed, the FAO representative said this highlights the need to help the most vulnerable to get access to healthy food and to regain their livelihoods quickly.

It recognises, she said, the need for collaborative and transformative action at the levels of countries, communities, households and individuals.

“It is also an occasion to sensitize the public on the importance of ensuring that our food systems meet our nutrition and dietary needs. This includes being more efficient in the way that we produce, transform, trade, consume and reduce wastage of our food. More than ever, innovation and shared vision should be coupled with critical thinking and bold steps, in order to take advantage of the opportunities that are also available to us,” Smith said.

Meanwhile, she said the FAO has been able to partner with sector agencies and other development partners to build capacity in several areas which aligned well with this year’s theme.
“These include climate-smart farming solutions, land development and management initiatives, promoting lifelong healthy eating habits through home grown school feeding programmes, building capacity in agriculture to unlock climate financing, promoting better access to markets and strengthening opportunities within value chains and providing expertise for developing inland fisheries and aquaculture,” she explained.