World Food Day being observed

World Food Day is being observed in Bangladesh today, Friday (October 16), with calls for innovation in agriculture, stronger food security and wider access to nutritious food for all. This year's global theme is "Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow".

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that combining traditional knowledge with modern innovative solutions can protect the environment while ensuring enough safe and nutritious food for everyone. Using technology and new ideas is also important for making food production and supply systems more effective.

To mark the day, a national seminar has been organized at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in the capital, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, the FAO and other stakeholders. The seminar is emphasizing investment and mutual cooperation to increase food production, improve nutrition and spread innovation in the agriculture sector. Government officials, researchers, development partners, farmer representatives and private sector representatives are taking part.

This year's World Food Day comes amid concerns about food availability and purchasing power in the country. Citing an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the FAO's September country brief says that about 18.1 million people in Bangladesh could face acute food insecurity between September and December 2026.

The assessment cites reduced household purchasing power, high inflation and flood-related damage to livelihoods in some areas as possible reasons for rising food insecurity. Those concerned say that, to deal with these conditions, it is important not only to ensure food availability but also to improve people's ability to afford nutritious food.

In his message for World Food Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that about 645 million people worldwide experienced hunger last year. During the same period, about 2.7 billion people could not afford a healthy diet. These figures show the scale of the global food and nutrition crisis.

Guterres called for greater use of data, technology and innovation to strengthen food systems. He also stressed the need for larger investment and stronger international cooperation to bring nutritious food within everyone's reach.