Unilever joins UN to mark World Food Day

World Food Day – 16th October 2009

World Food Day has never been so relevant. With an estimated 1.02 billion people undernourished, the situation is putting those already hungry at greater risk, and more people on the brink of poverty.

About World Food Day

World Food Day is an initiative of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and has been an annual event since 1979. Its purpose is to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is FAO's sister organisation within the UN and also takes part in World Food Day. WFP is the UN's largest food aid organisation and the world's largest provider of school meals and take-home rations for poor children.

Unilever sees World Food Day as an opportunity to raise awareness about child hunger and malnutrition through it's partnership with WFP, Together for Child Vitality.

The theme for World Food Day 2009 is: Achieving food security in times of crisis.

A call to action

To raise awareness of World Food Day 2008 within Unilever, 21 countries across the global business were involved in educational campaigns, including offering employees the opportunity to sample a typical WFP meal for lunch. These and other activities raised more than €12,000 which paid for an estimated 61,000 World Food Programme school meals.

Similar events will take place in 2009.

Photo courtesy of WFP/Benedicte Pansier

The legacy of World Food Day

World Food Day is an initiative of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and has been an annual event since 1979. Its purpose is to heighten public awareness of the world food problem.

WFP is the FAO's sister organisation within the UN and also takes part in World Food Day. WFP is the UN's largest food aid organisation and the world's largest provider of school meals and take-home rations for poor children.