Human Development Department - Thursday, 10 March 2005
Parliament of Fiji Library, Research & Information Research Unit FACT SHEET World Food Day
16 October 1999 Youth Against Hunger Prepared by: Jyoti Maharaj Research Officer Sustainable Human Development Vol. 3 No. 2 (October: 1999) World Food Day 16 October 1999: Youth Against Hunger: The aim of World Food Day, proclaimed in 1979 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, is to increase public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. The Day marks the date of the founding of FAO in 1945. World Food Day is observed annually in more than 150 countries. In 1980, the General Assembly endorsed observance of the Day in consideration of the fact that food is a requisite for human survival and well-being and, a fundamental human necessity (resolution 35/70 of 5 December). World Food Day (October 16) is celebrated to realize a time to think about people who cannot always enjoy three square meals a day. Healthful eating starts with having food to eat and for some people, particularly youth, this is a central issue. Poor food availability is the reason many food programmes and food pantries exist. Their goal is to meet the need of the millions particularly youth, who cannot obtain enough food without assistance. Millions of dollars is spent around the world each year for food assistance and poverty alleviation programmes. In addition to providing funding for food, many programmes exist to educate people on how to plan healthful meals and, get the most out of their food. World Food Day celebrations vary from exhibitions and essay contests to on-farm demonstrations, but their common goal is to: (a) Increase awareness of the problem of hunger; (b) Focus attention on agriculture and food production and, stimulate national efforts in these areas; (c) Promote technology transfer to the developing world; (d) Strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty; (e) Encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and youth, in decisions and activities that influence their lives; and (f) Encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries. The theme of World Food Day 1999 is Youth Against Hunger. This theme will focus attention on what more than one billion young people between the ages 15-24 are doing to defeat hunger and on how much more they could do if their contributions and potential were fully recognized and supported. Youth Against Hunger was selected as the theme for 1999 celebrations to underline the important contributions and potential of young women and men in achieving the objective of the 1996 World Food Summit to reduce the present level of more than 800 million undernourished people by half, by 2015. Todays youth representing one-fifth of the total world population will either play a decisive role in realising the commitment set by the World Food Summit to reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 50% by the year 2015 or else they will bear the brunt of our collective failure to reach that goal. If their idealism and energy are encouraged and not thwarted, youth can indeed have a powerful impact on reducing and eliminating hunger, according to FAO.It has been proven that with proper training, support and access to resources, young people can become innovative and highly productive partners in helping to reach national food security goals. Most young people about 85% - live in developing countries, with 60% in Asia. And, most have encountered problems of poverty and hunger face-to-face throughout their lives. Fully two-thirds of the worlds youth are growing up in countries with extremely low per capita annual incomes below $1,000, compared to only 12% in affluent countries where annual income tops $10,000 per person. While developed countries now face the problems of aging populations, with low birthrates and shrinking proportions of young people, in many developing countries youth make up as much as 50% of the total population. In both situations young people now entering adulthood will shoulder a heavy burden of responsibility whether as the principle breadwinners for societies in which the active workforce is shrinking or as catalysts for accelerating development to meet the needs of rapidly expanding populations. International surveys conducted in preparation for the third World Youth Forum in 1998 revealed that young people around the world, regardless of differences in their circumstances, share many of the same inspirations and concerns. Chromic hunger afflicts more than 800 million people in developing countries, including 200 million children under the age of five many of whom are the children of the youth highlighted by this years World Food Day theme. If their idealism and energy are encouraged and not thwarted, youth can indeed have a powerful impact on reducing and eliminating hunger. A majority of youths live in the rural areas of the developing world that are home to most of the worlds hungry people. And numerous studies confirm that with proper training, support and access to resources, these young people can become innovative and highly productive partners in helping to reach national food security goals. A study in Nigeria for example, found that an increase in the average education of farmers by one year increased the value added to agricultural production by 24%. Young people in urban areas and in developed countries may not contribute so directly to increasing food supplies and availability. Nevertheless, they too can play a decisive part in the war against hunger, by bringing pressure on governments to live up to the commitments made at the World Food Summit and by dedicating at least part of their energy and concern to local, national and global efforts to eradicate hunger, including World Food Day and the Food for All Campaign. But, youth face many obstacles in realizing both their personal goals and their potential as contributors to development. In many impoverished areas, young people are themselves particularly vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition due to the lack of physical or economic access to food. Due to social factors in various cultures, the voices of the young are not considered important within the household, even if they make an important economic contribution. On a larger scale, young people are frequently neglected and overlooked by policymakers and international development strategists. As a result, they often lack access to essential services, including education, healthcare, and financial credit. Girls and young women, in particular, suffer from a lack of educational opportunities. Two-thirds of the worlds children who never go to school or who drop out before completion are girls. As a result, women make up two-thirds of the one billion people who are illiterate and are therefore handicapped in their ability to participate fully in decision-making and social development. Young people also face particular health problems, often compounded by difficulties in obtaining adequate care. Youth are particular vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. In 1997, more than half of all new HIV infections, some 7,000 each day or 2.6 million for the year were among young women. Lack of services and opportunities in rural areas has contributed to a massive migration of young people in the cities. Largely uneducated and unskilled, these youth arrive in urban areas in such large numbers as to cause severe environmental, social, economic and political problems. The rural communities and fields they behind suffer the loss of much of their productive workforce for the future, including many of those who are mostly likely to adopt innovative and environmentally sustainable techniques. Young people who flee from rural areas to cities or migrate from developing countries are likely to encounter and contribute to problems that are common to youth everywhere. Unemployment, for example, is generally highest among youth, both in the developed and developing world. Similarly, youth throughout the world suffer disproportionately from crime, alcohol, and drug abuse and increasing rates of depression and suicide. However, the reality and universality of problems confronting youth are not likely to slow the pace of migration from rural areas. This trend can be expected to continue unless and until young people see a future for themselves in the countryside-a future that includes opportunities not only includes opportunities not only for economic security but, for social and cultural fulfillment. FAO has long maintained a focus on the importance of involving youth in programmes for sustainable rural development. An International Youth Forum, held in parallel with the World Food Summit, brought together some 500 students and youth from 130 countries. Their common concerns were articulated in the form of a Declaration presented to the world leaders at the closing session of the Summit. The World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, adopted by the UN in 1995, proposes action on several fronts. Some of the key points include calls to: (a) Enhance educational and cultural services and other incentives in rural areas to make them more attractive for young people, and other incentives in rural areas to make programmes directed towards young people; (b) Provide land grants to youth and youth organizations, supported by financial and technical assistance and training; (c) Develop training programmes for youth which improve methods of agricultural production and marketing, with special attention to youth women and youth in distressed circumstances; and (d) Initiate programmes to promote participation by youth in tree planting, forestry, combating desert creep, waste reduction, recycling and other sound environmental practices. Action on these and other points cited in the programme will improve opportunities and prospects, both for young people and for the global community. But, the key to defeating hunger may well lie in concentrating not so much on what should be done for youth as on what can be done by youth, if barriers are removed and opportunities expanded. |