World Food Day is October 16

One billion people on this earth live in chronic hunger.

That’s over one-sixth of the people that live on this planet — a number greater than the combined populations of the United States, Canada and European Union.

The purpose of World Food Day is to raise awareness of and address the urgent and ever-present issue of world hunger. Established by member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1979, this year’s theme is “Food Prices — From Crisis to Stability.”

According to the FAO website, rising food costs from 2010 to 2011 pushed nearly 70 million people into extreme poverty. FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf cites in his 2011 message that much more effort has to be put into addressing the problem of food price fluctuations, particularly for those who spend most of their incomes on food.

Catholic Relief Services supports the message of World Food Day and stands together with organizations across the globe that work to combat the tragedy of hunger that is assuming ever-greater proportions.

Catholic Relief Services Policy Advisor for Food Security and Hunger, Bruce White, backs that up by explaining that proposed cuts to the federal budget in Washington could do severe damage to the agricultural assistance programs that CRS supports and how they may affect the organization’s fight against hunger.

It’s time for each of us to get involved and take a stand against world hunger.

Contact your representatives and tell them to oppose the cuts to agricultural programs. And, consider making a donation to CRS online to aid the struggle of this gigantic problem.

You decide. Do your own research. Choose an avenue that works for you.

Let’s all join together and work towards ending food insecurity and extensive hunger in developing countries around the world. Find a way you can encourage sustainable investments in agriculture that provide security for our global family.

Give some thought to the fact that hunger is not a consequence of food scarcity, but rather economics and politics that can be improved through fair and sustainable policies. CJK