World Food Day

Tommorrow, October 16th is World Food Day, a day to take action and reflect on world food issues, hunger.

At a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories. The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, where 70 percent of the world's hungry live and work. With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.

From the World Food Day site

Even during really hard times, Chris and I have never had to watch our kids go hungry, feared our children were malnourished. We have had the privilege to grow some food of our own, not worrying that the government would come along and relocate us or take our land away. We have had the luxury of being able to can fruits and vegetables knowing that we have the option to buy produce that was grown locally and has little to no pesticides. We also know it is not an option to take these things for granted. It also isn't an option to stand by silently while people die of hunger. Children, mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends, die. Donate to food banks, be thankful, write to politicians, volunteer, become educated and empowered to act. We can all do something.

Oxfam has some great resources for World Food Day to use with your family or school. Even a jeopardy game. Over 700,000 Canadians turn to food banks each month. As part of World Food Day, Foodbanks Canada has put Canadian faces to hunger. They have compiled and published stories about individuals who are facing hunger. As a problem that often feels far away, this publication dispells the myths.

The rice game
A Flicker photo group for World Food Day
Make Poverty History Resources

Games for kids based on social justice