World Food Day

WFD 2020 Concept Note

1. Introduction and Background

World Food Day 2020 and FAO’s 75th Anniversary is being marked during exceptional time where many countries are dealing with the widespread effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. World Food Day (WFD), as a result should be considered as an opportunity to call for cooperation and solidarity to make sure the threats COVID-19 is posing to food security and agricultural livelihoods are confronted and the most vulnerable are able to get back on their feet. It is also an occasion to sensitize the public on how everybody has a role to play in transforming our food systems by changing the way we produce, transform, consume and waste our food.

FAO, World Food Programme, Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) and partners may need to reconsider the approach of this year's WFD events with in view of following COVID-19 safety measures and guidelines such as maintaining social distancing. The various stakeholders both organizing the event and participating should do their best to harness this opportunity to call for action by holding the events online. #WorldFoodDay and #FAO75 are aligned with the spirit of the UN’s 75th commemoration, occurring also this year, by looking into the future we need to build together.

2. Theme

This year’s theme is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. Our actions are our future”

The COVID-19 global health crisis has been a time to reflect on the things we truly cherish and our most basic needs. These uncertain times have made many of us rekindle our appreciation for a thing that some take for granted and many go without: food.

In a moment like this, it is more important than ever to recognize the need to support our food heroes - farmers and workers throughout the food system - who are making sure that food makes its way from farm to fork even amid disruptions as unprecedented as the current COVID-19 crisis.

3. Scope and Objectives

• Harness this opportunity to call for action by looking into the future we need to build together.
• Support our food heroes - farmers and workers throughout the food system.
• Calling for local, national and global solidarity to help all populations especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the Covid-19 crisis, drought and hunger, and to make food systems more resilient and robust.

4. Approach And Methodology

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the WFD commemorations for Zimbabwe will be held on 16 October 2020 under the global WFD theme, hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe with support from FAO and WFP using a webinar. The event will last not more than two hours, consisting of high-level key remarks and support statements; technical presentations and a question and answer session. Leading to the World Food Day celebrations, a series of promotion and awareness messages, poster competition for school going children, printing of visibility material such as t-shirts, designing of social media banners and infographics (see Annex 1), which  will be shared via online platforms, local print and electronic media, social media, local radio and TV stations. The actual event will also be covered by the local media.

The commemoration is organised by a multisectoral team led by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement (MLAWRR), with support from FAO and WFP. The event will be funded by the FAO, WFP and other stakeholders.

5.  Expected Outputs/Outcome

The Zimbabwe WFD commemoration is expected to increase awareness and support for global solidarity to help all populations, and especially the most vulnerable rural communities, to recover from the Covid-19 crisis, drought and hunger, and to make food systems more resilient and robust. It is expected to also help protect our environment and the diversity of our crops while maintaining local and traditional knowledge of the land in Zimbabwe. The event will also provide an opportunity for participants to meet, interact and share experiences, so as to influence wider awareness and importance of food security. In addition, the event will produce recorded materials such as videos and audio which can also be shared in future with stakeholders to increased awareness.

6. Conclusion

This is a platform to showcase our partnerships which is enshrouded in SDG 17