World Food Day celebrated in Brandwacht

South Africa has joined the world in marking World Food Day to highlight the plight of millions of malnourished people in the world. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries hosted a World Food Day event on 24 October 2018 in Brandwacht.

World Food Day is commemorated annually around the world on 16 October in remembrance of founding the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945, as an organisation that deals with global food and agricultural issues. Annually, FAO member states commemorate World Food Day by organising public awareness campaigns that support the National Programme for Food and Nutrition Security.

As a member of state, South Africa also commemorates the day through activities aimed at highlighting food and nutrition security.

Objectives of World Food Day are to:

Inform South Africans on the National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security;
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;
Promote food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, transnational and non-governmental initiatives;
Encourage research and technology development for the development of symbiotic ecological food production systems to ensure sustainable food production;
Enhance the participation of rural people, particularly women and the under-privileged in decisions and events impacting their living conditions;
Heighten public awareness on the government programmes aimed at halving hunger in South Africa; and
Raise awareness of the public regarding the contribution of indigenous forests to food security and nutrition.

The Sustainable Development Goal two aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, thereby ensuring that all people, especially children, have access to sufficient and nutritious food all year round. This involves promoting sustainable agricultural practices, supporting small scale farmers and allowing equal access to land, technology and markets. It also requires international co-operation to ensure investment in infrastructure and technology to improve agricultural productivity.
2018’s World Food Day was celebrated under the theme ‘Our actions are our future. A #ZeroHungerWorld by 2030 is possible’.
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s senior delegation attended the event at the Brandwacht NG Church hall with the main event staged on the sports fields.

The Minister and the delegates had an opportunity to visit the household food gardens of the local communities and interact with the beneficiaries. A symbolic ‘food mountain’, built to celebrate the occasion, was unveiled on the day and the food was then distributed to local residents and communities in need.

The day was declared a success and Casidra, an implementing agency of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture , ensured that the day’s activities went well as planned especially to ensure that the local communities do not go home with empty stomachs. Casidra’s team was applauded by the WCDoA for their dedication, hard work and the lead-up to a successful day.

World Food Day celebrated in Brandwacht