Didiza to commemorate World Food day in KZN

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, together with KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Super Zuma, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), will on Thursday commemorate World Food Day (WFD) at iLembe District Municipality.

The event, which will take place at Esixeni Sports Field, aims to inform communities on ways to mitigate the impact of rising food prices through the establishment of food gardens and supporting agricultural cooperatives in attaining food security, job creation and economic growth.

The WFD also aims to deepen public awareness of the plight of the hungry and undernourished in the world, and to encourage communities to take measures to combat hunger.

The day will be observed under the theme: ‘Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind’, highlighting the critical role of water for life on earth and water as the foundation of food.

Didiza and senior government officials will visit projects and households.

“It is also expected that some of the indigent households in identified communities will receive food parcels and agricultural support,” the department said in a statement.

About World Food Day

World Food Day is commemorated annually on 16 October in remembrance of founding the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in 1945 as an organisation that deals with global food and agricultural issues.

The conference of FAO proclaimed World Food Day in 1979 to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

The objectives of World Food Day are:

• To inform South Africans on the National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security.

• To heighten public awareness on issues such as absence and scarcity of food in the country and to strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

• To promote food production and to stimulate national, bi-lateral, trans-national and non-governmental initiatives.

• To encourage research and technology development for the development of symbiotic ecological food production systems to ensure sustainable food production.

• To enhance the participation of rural people, particularly women and the under privileged in decisions and events impacting their living conditions.

• To heighten public awareness on the government programmes aimed at halving hunger in South Africa.

• To raise awareness of the public regarding the contribution of indigenous forests to food security and nutrition.

Source: South African Government News Agency